Chapter Eighteen
And they were soulmates! Gasp. And they were soulmates .
Ceres
Amelia sniffles. “I-I don’t know. I don’t want to bother anyone to ask for a job. It’s not like I’m being abused.”
Physically. She’s not being abused physically .
Keeping my tone soft and soothing, I say, “Mellie…you’re hiding in the corner of your room under your comforter so your parents won’t hear you talking to me or crying…
Regardless of what they are or aren’t responsible for, this environment isn’t healthy for you.
You don’t react to it well. That means it needs to change, right? ”
“I…guess.”
“And if I know someone who might have a job opening and a place for you to stay…you’d want me to ask, right?”
“What if leaving is worse?”
“Sweetheart, it will be. For a minute. But when that minute’s over, it’ll be so much better than you can imagine right now. I need permission to ask. Will you give me that, knowing that if—later—it doesn’t feel right, it’ll be okay to change your mind?”
Mars’s gaze is heavy on me while I say a truth I know Amelia would never be able to handle.
From what I know of Brian, Amelia could absolutely change her mind and it would be so totally okay.
From what I know of Amelia, though? She would never.
Coming off wishy-washy in front of Brian is not on her bucket list.
“I’m so scared,” she whispers.
“Fear isn’t strong enough to stop you.”
“If things work out, how fast would I be leaving?”
“That’s likely up to you. How fast would you want to leave?”
Her voice breaks. “I want to get out now . But I don’t know how to tell them. What if they try to stop me?”
“You have help and support. People can and will make it happen, but you need to let us. It has to be your decision.”
A shaking breath laced in sniffles shivers through the speaker. Then Amelia whispers, “Okay.”
Mars doesn’t need another second. He presses the call button and lifts his phone to his ear.
For the sake of controlling panic, I take Amelia off speakerphone and say, “You focus on discreetly packing if telling your parents is too much right now. We’ll make sure that if things go poorly when you tell them, we can get you out then and there, okay?”
“Yeah,” she whispers. “Okay.”
“Send me your resume and glance over the email you sent me. Make sure you know why you’re doing this.”
“I will. I am. Right now.” Her voice shakes. “How far away will I be moving?”
“Hey, Brian,” Mars says, chipper. “Quick question: that fancy office building of yours. Does it need any entry positions filled?”
“Weekend trip distance, at the most,” I say.
“A weekend trip’s distance isn’t bad. That’s a safe distance. Who’s the friend you’re contacting?”
Mars nods in response to whatever Brian’s saying.
“Yeah, I can send you her resume. I appreciate you talking to your boss and seeing what he has available. One more thing, though. Any chance at all she could stay with you while she gets on her feet?” A pause.
A moment. A wicked smile. “Amelia. Amelia Christmas.”
“Brian,” I say. “Brian Single.”
“ What? ” Amelia squeaks.
“Really?” Mars says, striding toward me. “You don’t need to talk to your boss?” He puts Brian on speakerphone and holds his phone close enough for mine to pick up Brian’s voice.
“If it’s Amelia,” Brian says, “I don’t need to visit Liam. She can work with me in the mailroom. I love Amelia. When can she start? I’ll set up my guest room for her.”
“I’ll ask,” Mars says, pressing the speaker button again.
“Mellie?” I murmur. “You still alive?”
Quick breaths. Shaking words. “He— He—”
“When can you start?” I prompt.
“Did he just say…”
“Yes, sweetie. You’ve got a job. And a room. With Brian. He needs to know when to expect you.”
“Yesterday,” she whispers. “I-I can start yesterday. I’ll—” She swallows, or chokes on a swallow anyway, and croaks, “I’ll be packed by next week. Oh. No.” She whimpers. “My two-weeks’. I need to give my two-weeks’ notice. And my next shift isn’t until Tuesday.”
“Should we tell him next month?” I ask. “To give you time to pack and get things in order?”
“Is that okay?” she whispers.
“Let’s find out.” I meet Mars’s eyes.
“She’ll tie up some loose ends and start next month.
Can you text me your address and anything else she might need to know?
” After an apparent confirmation, Mars says, “Great. Thanks,” and hangs up.
Then he looks at me. “Brian says he’s expecting her April 2nd, and he would expect her April 1st, but April Fool’s Day is a terrific holiday for mail, and he’d like to make sure he has time to dedicate to getting her settled in.
” He leans forward, eyes locked on mine, lips inches away. “Did you get that, Mellie?”
“Surely I’m dreaming,” Amelia breathes. “April 2nd…I’m going…to live with Brian?”
“Just until you get on your feet,” I say.
“Or until you seduce him,” Mars offers. “I suggest mailing yourself there and jumping out of a flat-rate into his arms.”
“I couldn’t. The weight limit on a flat-rate is seventy pounds.
” Distant, Amelia begins rattling off the many regulations that make it impossible for her to mail herself to Brian with a dedication to detail that makes me think she has thought this through several times before.
Amid point twelve, she gasps. “I need to start packing and write my resignation. I’m terrified… but…this is good, isn’t it?”
“It will be, Mellie. Trust me.”
She takes a shaking breath. “I’ll try.”
“I care about you, okay?”
She sniffles. “I know. Thank you.”
When she hangs up, I discover that Mars’s face is still inches from mine, so I say, “What?”
His teeth bare.
“ What? ”
He touches a kiss to my forehead and straightens, hands tucked in his pockets and a wild spark in his eye. “That was fun. You think they’ll name their firstborn after us?”
I arch a brow. “Why would I want a tiny brat destined to love mail carrying my namesake? Brian and Amelia are the sunshine/sunshine trope. Nobody’s doing that. Nobody wants that.”
“I want that.”
“You’re an outlier who doesn’t understand the market. Therefore, your opinion is inconsequential.”
“That’s no way to talk to your lover or your partner in crime, now is it?”
I consider his words, then I smile. “Punish me, then.”
“You wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
My heart skipping with unabridged excitement is surely a testament to how mentally unwell I am. “We won’t know until we try.”
“That sounds an awful lot like consent.” Mars places a hand at his chin and takes a moment to ponder before nodding affirmatively and dragging me out of my chair. “When you want to quit, just remember: you asked for this.”
“Are you exhausted yet, baby?” Mars whispers in my ear.
Gripping the handlebars of my stupid bike for dear life, I mutter, “I hate you.”
His hand slips firmly down my back, pressing on every bump of my spine, as he leans in, stabilizes my poor wobbling body, and kisses my throat. “You’re doing so well.”
My stupid heart reacts to praise as though I am a stupid dog. Had I a tail, it would be wagging beneath my skirt, and, no, I’m not happy about that. I scowl at Mars.
“Hold on tight. Learning to ride is hard, huh?”
“Could you, actually, go die in a ditch?”
His chuckle vibrates against my skin, and it would be unbelievably sexy…if I did not feel like a baby deer, relying solely on his mercy to remain off the street. He murmurs, “I am so attracted to you right now.”
My eyes roll. “It doesn’t take much, does it?”
“With you? No.” He swears. “Do you want to try pedaling a bit?”
I’d like to stop balancing on this dumb bike, put my feet on the ground, avoid face-planting when I get off, and go back inside my house. “No.”
“I won’t let you fall.”
“You have four measly inches on me. There is no way you’d be physically able to catch me if I fall.”
“I’m stronger than I look.”
I roll my eyes. “You look plenty strong. That does not mean I am a small enough woman for it to matter.” A dastardly idea hits me, and I pin down a smile as I pout my bottom lip. “Is Jupiter home? I’d trust him to catch me. He’s so much bigger than you.”
Mars’s eye twitches. “ Jove is having a moment . That is lasting several weeks. And has no end in sight.”
“But Jupite—”
“ J-O-V-E .”
“—r would really make me feel more secure, I think. He’s so aptly named. The biggest planet in the solar system. The most well-known god.”
Mars is not amused, but me? I’m having a great time.
“In contrast, you’re also…you know…aptly named. Second smallest planet, I’m pretty sure.”
“Jove is literally two inches taller. Two.”
“Sure, but those shoulders . He’s practically a tank. A big, hot tank. If he were here, I wouldn’t even need a bike. I could just ride him around town. Wee .”
Mars’s fingers lock around my throat, and my feet hit the ground for stability an instant before his mouth is open on mine. A horrifically deprived sound leaves me when his tongue pries my lips open and roves.
Considering the physical torture I’ve been subjected to for the past twenty minutes, my stamina is already shot, so I can’t keep up. At all. Panting, I sag into Mars’s arms after mere, delightful moments, and his fingers comb through my hair.
“Wow. You jealous…” I fight for air. “…or something?”
Silent, and deadly, Mars wraps a fist in my hair and pulls. “I’m actually really insecure, Ceres, so if you could not be quite so explicit when you mention my brother, I’d deeply appreciate it.”
“Right.” I exhale, melting when he kisses my neck. “Since antagonizing you because I’m desperate for you to touch me is absolutely something to be insecure about.”
“I am convinced that Jove is your type in ways I am unable to correct for you.”
“Where do you go about getting a silly idea like that?”
He draws back from tormenting me. “You aren’t exactly subtle concerning your ideal physical standards.”
“I’m not?”
“No.”
“ Crazy .” I pout, helpless. “May I be freed from the confines of this torture vehicle now?”