Chapter 15 Perry
PERRY
I look at Buckle and we scurry down from the window ledge. We’d just wanted to make sure Abel got inside okay, but when we peeked, there was someone in his apartment. Someone that said very mean things to him.
We run to Buckle’s truck and shift.
“What the fuck do we do?” Buckle huffs as we catch our breaths.
“I have no idea. If we go in there, he’s going to know we invaded his privacy. If we don’t go in there, he won’t know he has our support.”
“Shit. Shit. What the hell do we do?” Buckle drops his head on the back of the headrest. “He makes my heart hurt, Perry.”
“I know.” I take Buckle’s hand and just hold it, needing the comfort of his touch. “I get why he’s so scared of us, though.” The poor guy really doesn’t think he’s worth anything, so he throws himself into work and his projects.
“Do you work today?” Buckle asks.
“I was planning on going in this afternoon. I have excellent employees, but I still like having my hands everywhere.” I give him a small smile. “But I’m wondering if we need to play hooky and take care of our guy.”
“If he’ll let us.”
Our phones buzz at the same time.
Abel: You had no right to message Riley for me. I had it handled.
I nibble my bottom lip.
Perry: We’re coming up. Don’t leave yet.
Abel: I have to finish getting ready. I don’t want Riley to get mad at me.
Buckle sighs. “Riley doesn’t care when Abel gets in. He responded to take his time, no worries. Why does Abel think Riley’s gonna be mad at him?”
“I know.” I squeeze Buckle’s hand. “I know.”
Buckle: Babe, we’re coming up. We did something you probably won’t like.
I nod and he hits send. We get dressed again and walk hand-in-hand to the front door to the building.
When Buckle curses, I just pull out my keyring where I have a set of lock picks.
“You are a man of many secrets,” he chuckles.
“You have no idea.” I wink back and we’re in.
Abel answers the door with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair a mess. His eyes go wide and he tries to shut it, but Buckle shoves his boot in the way.
“We saw everything,” Buckle says.
“Everything?” Abel’s voice croaks.
“Everything,” I repeat.
Abel opens the door wider, his eyes full of unshed tears. “You hate me too now, right? You’re going to tell me Fate got it wrong.”
“Not even close,” I say.
“How can we help?” Buckle asks.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Abel says.
“We were kind of naughty,” I say. “We shifted and climbed up the building. We just wanted to make sure you were okay. You were pretty upset when you left and—”
Abel bursts into laughter. I can’t tell if it’s joyous or angry.
“Sorry. I’m just imagining you both scurrying up the building and peeking through the windows.” He makes circles with his fingers and puts them to his eyes like glasses.
“Well, our hands are too tiny to do that, but… yeah that’s pretty much what we did,” I say.
His bottom lip trembles and he blinks. “I thought Anya was different. She’d always treated me nicely, but apparently she’s been disgusted by me all this time.”
“Screw her,” Buckle says. He opens his arms and Abel kind of just drops in, laying his head on Buckle’s chest. Buckle gives me a look as he closes Abel in.
I want to be touching my mates too and cup the scruff of Abel’s nape, hoping my touch can help too. He looks up at me with a small smile.
“Let us help you,” I say.
“How?”
“I don’t know yet,” I say. “But there’s got to be something we can do. We can at least help you relax instead of drowning in your anxiety.”
“Like your pheromones?”
“Yeah,” Buckle says.
“Okay.”
Buckle and I both sigh in relief.
“But I need to get to work.”
“Babe, Riley won’t care if you get in late.”
“I care.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t thought of that. “Okay, we won’t make you too late.”
“Okay. Let me get dressed first.”
“Something comfortable, then you can change into your work clothes,” I say.
He chews on his bottom lip before nodding and strolling from the living room.
“I want to rip that Anya lady’s eyes out,” Buckle says as he paces the floor. “The Kettle doesn’t deserve him.”
I drop a hand to his forearm. “We can’t help him if you’re all worked up.”
He stops and closes his eyes. “I know you’re right.” He lets out a breath. “Pax used to be the only one to calm me down. He’d just start rambling on about something and I usually stopped just to listen to his voice.”
“It’s a good strategy.”
“He got me through the worst years of my life.”
“He’s a good guy.” I’ve never seen him be cruel to anyone.
Not that I’ve had much interaction with Pax or his partner, Aaron.
They both come into Pleasures either alone or together for various reasons.
I’ve always liked Aaron and the Risings.
They just want everyone to get along and be happy.
It’s much better than Opossum Nook or Hawk Ridge I imagine.
“I had a best friend like that when I was back home. She’d usually sing to me. We got each other through a lot.”
“Anya used to tell me bedtime stories of hawk princelings. But I guess I never lived up to what she dreamed I could be.” Abel slumps, trying to make himself smaller. He took our advice and only wears a t-shirt and a pair of loose sweatpants.
“You can still enjoy the stories,” I say.
He nods as Buckle settles into the couch.
“Come, my mates.” Buckle opens his arms.
Abel hesitates, so I take his hand and gently guide him to the couch.
He sits on his own, then leans into Buckle.
By the time I’m seated on Buckle’s other side, Abel is hugging him by the waist, face pressed to his chest. I can’t help but push my pheromones and smoothe Abel’s hair down. I wrap my arms around them both.
Abel sighs, then mumbles against Buckle. “Twenty minutes tops.”
“Thirty, and I’m not negotiating,” Buckle says. He grabs the blanket on the back of the couch and throws it over the three of us. I set a timer on my phone. We can’t break Abel’s trust in this.
For the next thirty minutes, we all soak up pheromones. Abel’s so calm he might have fallen asleep, and I hope he has. My phone vibrates and I rub his back.
“Abel, our thirty minutes are up,” I say softly.
He nods, but doesn’t move otherwise. “Five more minutes?”
“Gladly,” Buckle says and I restart the timer for five minutes.
Abel snuggles in closer into Buckle, and he reaches for me. I want him in my lap. I want to comfort him myself, but I’m also glad Buckle is here. It’s been years since I’ve been able to comfort anyone and the fact that I have two mates makes my heart so happy.
The five minutes are up, and I rub Abel’s back again. “Sweetness, do you want to finish getting ready for work?”
He shakes his head. “I want to stay here forever,” he whispers. “Feels too good.”
“I know, babe,” Buckle says. He drops a kiss to the top of Abel’s head and gives me the most satisfied look. “We can call Riley. I’m sure he’d understand.”
Abel pushes to sit up, and he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He goes red when we all notice the drool spot on Buckle’s chest. “No. We have a meeting this afternoon for the Valentine’s Day festival and I need to be there. Aaron specifically asked me to help.”
“He did?” Buckle asks.
“Yeah. He’s been coming to the library as long as I’ve worked there, always requesting the maps of the town so he can decide where to best host the various festivities he likes to come up with.
He wanted to have the Valentine’s Day festival and dance by the lake until I pointed out that people might not want to freeze their tails off.
We decided on the town hall for the dance and the events hall for the festival itself.
There’ll be food trucks and carriage rides outside, but for the most part everything will be inside.
He asked for my help with planning how to set up the vendors and how many to have.
I told him he probably waited too long to get started, but that I’d do my best to help. ”
Buckle and I are speechless.
“Most people don’t know I’m behind a lot of the events around here.
I know Mink Hollow like the back of my hand with my eyes closed and Aaron knows it.
” Abel chews on his bottom lip. “I think Aaron knows I like that kinda work, too. He and Riley have always been nice to me. It’s why I don’t want to disappoint either of them.
” He picks at the cushion. “But I know you’re right.
Riley won’t be mad at me for being late.
I’m usually very responsible and I’m sorry for last night.
I knew I wasn’t feeling right, but I kept drinking.
I wanted to see what it felt like not to think for a moment, but all it did was make me think even more.
And my tummy didn’t like it. Or my head.
My body felt weird and fuzzy, like it wasn’t mine.
I don’t think I’m going to drink again anytime soon.
” He hangs his head, but he’s not pouring out anxiety, which is a relief.
I resist a chuckle. “You’re not the first or last to be embarrassed about being drunk. You were safe, though.”
He nods. “But it’s not like me.” He pushes to his feet.
“I should get ready. Thank you for spying on me and comforting me. I really do feel better.” He gives us the brightest smile.
It’s like clouds parted in the sky and he’s the sun.
He’s so radiant when he smiles. If only I could take pictures with my mind.
“Can I invite you both for dinner tonight? Or tomorrow?” Buckle asks. “My place. I want to make you something.”
“Tomorrow,” Abel says. “Sometime after six. We have another festival meeting at four that I can’t miss.
We’ll be making a list of vendors we’d like to invite and cross-reference it with the vendors that have already applied in the short window of time we’ve been promoting.
I’m still wondering how we’re going to pull this off with such short notice, but Aaron has given me shorter time periods before. ”
Abel grins again when I open my mouth to say Aaron needs to wrangle expectations.
Then he asks a question I hadn’t even thought of.
“Would you like to be a vendor? I’m trying to convince Aaron that an adult’s only area could be a lot of fun.
Something mysterious where people have to show their IDs.
Or you could promote your pole dancing classes.
But I was thinking more along the idea of toys or books or magazines. ” I’m surprised he keeps eye contact.
“I’ll consider it. Send me the information when you get the chance.”
Abel sucks in a breath and nods.
“I’m happy to help somehow,” Buckle says. “Just let me know.” He scratches the back of his head.
“Will do. Aaron’s wanting it to be a big birthday bash, too.
I’m excited even if I am spicy about him waiting until the first of the year to decide to do it.
That’s just not a lot of time to set anything up.
But we’re getting there. Riley lets me make calls while I’m at the library because he knows it’s good for the community.
I’m going to have a booth for my crochet stuff.
I’ll have blankets and hats and stuffies.
Nothing as nice as what Aaron does, but—”
“Don’t put yourself down like that,” I say. I rub a finger along the blanket still on my lap. “You made this, didn’t you?”
He nods. “One sec.” He rushes out of the living room, and comes back clutching a small octopus with curly tentacles. “These are for premie babies and they’re so fun to make.” He clutches it close. “I made a big one for me and I plan on making more big ones to sell.”
“Why didn’t you become a nurse or—”
“Never finished school.” His face drops before he seems to shake off the sadness.
“But it’s fine. I research anything that I want to learn.
It’s not exactly the same as school, but I enjoy diving into a topic without limitations.
And I love the library. I’m surrounded by books and nice people.
And I need to finish getting ready for work.
” He turns on his heel and leaves again.
I drop back next to Buckle. “Gods, he’s something else.”
“He really is,” Buckle says as he pulls me to his side. “I don’t want to leave him, but I need to get ready, too.”
I nod. “My hard-working men.”
Not too much later, Abel comes out in nice khakis and a polo shirt with the library logo.
“Ready?” he asks.
We push to our feet and join him at the door, where he slings on a messenger bag. It’s like he’s a completely different guy than this morning. He’s so much calmer.
“Thank you for spying on me.” Abel’s lips twitch before he bursts into laughter. “I wish I had noticed. I could have taken a picture.”
“Next time we’ll knock on the glass,” I say with a snort.