Chapter Five
Today’s the day…
Clear skies, sun shining. Sand and surf and smiles. Waking up in a giant, insanely comfy bed with my gorgeous blue-eyed nymphomaniac of a fiancé rubbing his morning wood on me.
The smell of fancy French press coffee and bacon coming from somewhere in this lavish Malibu mansion, accompanied by laughter and smooth guitar riffs.
Yet another beautiful one here in our Southern California sanctuary.
I guess it’s as good a day as any to drop a nuke on all this peace and serenity.
“I think you’re mucho loco, you know that?” Ren hums, smirking at me in the mirror while we stand, side by side, before the dual vanity.
He’s shaving. I’m gargling.
Spitting mouthwash into the sink, I slope my face in his direction, cocking a brow. “Are you reneging?”
He frowns. “I’m not reneging.”
“Seems like you’re reneging…”
“I’m not reneging,” he chuckles, swiping the razor along his equally sharp jawline. “I’m just making an observation. What sane person leaves literal paradise to go back to a flaming dumpster fire?”
“If you don’t wanna do this…”
“I didn’t say that,” he chirps. “I happen to think it’s sexy…” I huff, and he grins. “You’re just as crazy as me. You just happen to hide it way better.”
Easing my body behind his, I take the razor from him, continuing his shaving myself.
“I’m not crazy, Warren,” I murmur by his ear. “I’m reckless. There’s a difference.”
He hums, biting his lip and rubbing his ass on my crotch. “Use whatever terminology you want. Alls I’m saying is it makes my pussy drip.”
I snort, then roll my eyes. “Be serious for thirty seconds, please.”
Ren pulls a purposeful pout of forced seriousness that looks ridiculous on him, nodding firmly. “Yes, yes, fine. You got it, Lex Luthor. Serious. I can do that.”
My mouth is curved into the most admonishing of smitten smiles. It’s honestly so hard to be anything other than delighted in his presence.
Happy and horny at all times. That’s it.
I mean, Warren Xavier is my fiancé… The serotonin is flowing more than the constant barrage of orgasms since he said yes.
Seriously. If you shake my balls, they probably sound like an empty spray paint can.
With one last swipe up his throat, I look him over, marveling at his sheer beauty. It’s barely fair… That he looks like that, yes, but also that I get to be with it.
Forever…?
Damn. Now that is crazy.
“If we’re doing this, we’re doing it together. Remember?” I mumble, searching his face for any sign of doubt.
Real doubt, not the endless shit-talking or silliness he uses to disguise his emotions. He doesn’t hide how he’s feeling from me, or wrap it up in a shiny red bow like he used to. That said, it can feel like wading through a swamp of puns and dick jokes at times.
Ren turns topaz irises on me. And we just stare for a moment.
“Everything we do is together, beautiful boy,” he rasps, fully serious. “For the rest of our lives.”
Biting my lip, I nod, running my hands up his hips to hold him tight. “Never again, sweet flame. I told you when I got you back, I’m never letting go of you again.”
He beams, lashes fluttering. “If they thought we were codependent before…” I laugh while he chuckles. “Boy, are they in for a treat.”
I’m grinning, thumb sliding absentmindedly over my lower lip while I watch him wash the leftover shaving cream off his face. My mind sifting through thoughts on thoughts on thoughts.
The doubt is there. How could it not be?
It is crazy, what we’re doing. Ren’s totally right.
Don’t tell him I said that. I’ll never hear the end of it.
But as crazy as it is to even consider returning to the island we risked our lives escaping—especially knowing we basically left the place in shambles—not considering it isn’t really an option either.
Because that would mean deliberately ignoring the obvious fact that our friends are in trouble just to stay here in this beachside palace of great food and nonstop sex.
And that is way more selfish than I’m comfortable being.
Sure, staying and not dying is appealing… But the hard truth is every moment of bliss here is tainted by underlying concern for our friends—our family—back in New York.
Every laugh with Cyrus while playing video games, every delicious taco made by Tauren, every fireside song played by Colson, not to mention every stomach flip from simply being present for how hard they love each other, regardless of whether they’re supposed to…
It all aches my chest with memories of that godforsaken island.
So much good, a lot of bad, and some very ugly… But we undoubtedly wouldn’t be here without every messy moment of it.
Ren and me, our bond was born there, surrounded by those people. That’s gotta count for something. As comfortable as our bed is here, I haven’t slept a single night soundly. Because any time it gets quiet, all I’m doing is worrying that they think we left them when they needed us the most.
It is absolutely fucking crazy. We’re a half-hour from where I grew up… But the stress in my chest won’t rest until we go home.
To where it all started. Alabaster fucking Isle.
Ren straightens and seals himself to me, decorating my neck with kisses that ease my rampant overthinking just enough.
“I love you more than I can even articulate, fiancé,” he purrs.
It’s only been a week since I asked and he said yes, but my stomach is still very much in tumble-dryer mode when he calls me that, in his silky sex voice.
Pulling him off me by the jaw, I lock our eyes. “I love you beyond all reasoning or rationale, Warren Xavier.”
“I know,” he sighs. Charm you out of your panties smile and heart eyes, only for me. “Which is why… you’re gonna tell them.”
My grin falls off quick. Not quicker than he drops a kiss on my jaw and literally runs away.
“Warren!” I bark, chasing after him. “Get your ass back here!”
Ugh… and I’m supposed to marry that. Good luck, Luthor.
Yea, so deciding to go back to Alabaster Pen is one thing. Figuring out how to get there is another…
But breaking the news to our friends, who have been letting us stay with them since we escaped and have become our interim surrogate family, is somehow the hardest part right now.
We’ve been dreading it. Not that I think they’ll be mad.
Who knows, maybe they want to get rid of us…
We have sort of been encroaching on their alone time for weeks.
To be fair, though, they’re usually alone—for obvious reasons—and have seemed super excited to actually spend time with people other than each other for really only the second time since they got together.
Most of all, I just don’t want them to worry. Attempting to explain Alabaster Isle and the things that happen there to regular people is challenging.
But then, Colson, Cyrus, and Tauren aren’t exactly regular people… So they’re probably the perfect weirdos to understand this half-cocked plan of ours.
Dressed and finally composed, I take Ren’s hand, and together we wander downstairs to find our friends and broach the subject of leaving. We barely make it halfway down the steps before Ren comes to a halt.
“Wanna have sex again?” He blinks up at me. Rather coercively, even for him.
“Ren,” I grumble, shaking my head. “We can’t just have sex instead of dealing with anything serious ever.”
“I know that.” He rolls his eyes. But he’s still blocking me with his body. “How about some head?”
I scoff. But then pause. “For you or me?”
He grins wickedly, touching his tongue to his top teeth.
Shaking it off, I shove him gently. “Shut up and move. We have to do this…”
“Ugh, I know, I’m sorry,” he whines. “I get extra slutty when I’m nervous.”
“Yea, I’m familiar with you,” I mutter, rubbing his shoulders while he finally shuffles down the stairs the rest of the way. “It’ll be fine, baby. Jeez, you’re acting like you’re about to meet my parents.”
He shoots me an even more terrified look. I grin and wink at him, nudging him along. We find our friends in the kitchen, being their usual adorable selves.
Tauren is chuckling and mooning over Cyrus, who appears to be decorating pancakes with whipped cream while Colson tosses blueberries at them. Tauren catches one in his mouth and the twins cheer.
“Morning,” the former tech genius, now retired millionaire croons, chewing and beaming.
“Morning,” I chuckle, feeling that familiar warmth in my face from watching how sickeningly in love they are. Seriously, is that what Ren and I look like?? It’s so gross, I love it. “Smells great in here.”
“As usual,” Colson rumbles with a smirk. “Thanks to chef Tauren Ramsey over here.”
“Watch it, perfect, or I’ll make you a sandwich.” Tauren’s brows wiggle, to which Colson pulls an obviously very forced scowl, whipping another blueberry at him.
He catches it, again.
“Hope you’re hungry,” Cyrus chirps to us, finishing his creation and holding it up. The pancake has a face made of whipped cream, strawberries and bananas. “See? It’s Luthor!” He’s wiggling around triumphantly while the other two snicker. “Ren, this one’s yours. I figured you’d wanna eat—”
“We’re leaving!” Ren gasps, literally out of nowhere.
The room goes quiet as my non-pancake face turns slowly to gape at him like he’s insane.
“What?!” Cyrus balks.
“I don’t get it…” Colson mumbles, brows knitted.
“Dude…” I groan, rubbing my eyes. “What is your deal??”
“I’m sorry!” Ren drapes himself over the marble island, covering his head with his arms. “I told you I was nervous…”
“Wait, what do you mean you’re leaving?” Tauren grunts.
He’s using the disappointed Daddy tone that’s usually for them, not us. It’s making me nauseous.
“What my psychotic fiancé was trying to convey, with zero warm-up, is…” My words trail into a gulp, but I push past the discomfort and spit it out. “We have to go back… To New York.” They’re straight up gawking at us. “To the island.”
“Why, though?” Cyrus squeaks. “Isn’t it dangerous?”