Chapter Twenty-Four
Shai
I open my eyes the next morning to see Rory lying on his side, staring down at me. He looks like he’s been awake for hours, no sleepy eyes or anything like that, just…staring.
“Good morning,” I say, rubbing a hand over my face. Unlike him, I’m still half-asleep.
“Good morning,” he says, not moving from his position.
“What are you doing?” I ask because I can’t say this has ever happened to me before.
“Watching you.”
“I see that,” I reply.
“Does it bother you?” He lifts his hand slowly, pauses, then keeps going, running his fingers through my hair.
My breath catches. “No. It’s a bit weird, but it doesn’t bother me. I think…I think maybe I like it.” It feels good that Rory is this obsessed with me.
“You’re just a little off, like me.”
He grins, and I chuckle. He’s right. Maybe that’s why this—whatever it is—works. I’ve told him he’s mine, and he hasn’t argued—told me the same thing about me—but I still don’t know what that means.
“Yes,” I answer simply, and his lips stretch into a wide, happy smile. “Come on. I have to piss, and then I want to check your arm.”
“Yes, sir,” he answers playfully.
We get out of bed, and I go to the bathroom, then wash my hands. Rory grabs a first-aid kit. I clean the cut, then rebandage it. “It’s not red or puffy, but we need to keep an eye on it for infection. Maybe you should have gotten stitches, but—”
“It’s fine, pet.”
It’s wild how different the nickname sounds on his tongue now than when we first met.
When his stomach growls, I say, “Let’s go make breakfast.”
We put on shorts, no tops, and go downstairs, where I hear voices in the kitchen. When we round the corner, it’s Cillian and Ollie—and Cillian’s shirtless too. His abs look like they belong to someone who spends their days in the gym, which is unfair as shit since he probably rarely works out.
“Good morning,” Ollie says. He’s got on a flannel pajama set, his cheeks a rosy pink, his grin wide as he looks at us. God, he’s so fucking adorable, so earnest in this way I’ve never seen in anyone before.
“’Morning,” I reply as Rory walks over and picks him up.
“Bunny! Sorry if I scared you last night.”
My gaze flicks toward Cillian, wondering what I’ll find there, but he’s just smiling, coffee cup in hand, watching his best friend with his boyfriend.
He takes a sip, peeking at them over the mug, before lowering it again, appearing happy and content, like he enjoys seeing them together and it fulfills something inside Cillian the same way it does Rory.
“You did scare me last night, but it’s okay. I’m glad you weren’t hurt too bad.”
Rory sets him down and ruffles his hair. “I’ll try and be good for like…a week to make up for it.”
“A whole week, huh?” Cillian asks Rory, his grin spreading.
“I mean, that’s a good deal, if you ask me.” Rory pumps his brows.
“You worried me too,” Ollie tells me. Cillian doesn’t say a word.
“I’m sorry. I fucked up. Rory was there because of me. Nothing like that will happen again. I promise I’ll do better.” I look away, slightly embarrassed.
Cillian clears his throat, and I brace myself for whatever he’ll say. I’m sure he’s not done with me yet, and I don’t have any illusions that we’re friends. “Shit happens. We’ve all been in situations where it doesn’t go as planned. Just, be careful.”
Um…am I dreaming, or did he really say that?
As if he doesn’t believe it or want to acknowledge it himself, Cillian sets his mug down, pushes away from the counter, and moves toward the pantry.
Rory jogs over to him, jumping on Cillian’s back, arms and legs wrapped around him. “Aww! That was so sweet! What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”
Cillian laughs, trying to get Rory off his back, Ollie smiling, and it takes me a moment to realize I am too.
“Get off me,” Cillian says, Rory chuckling but following through.
“Be careful with your arm,” I say, in unison with Cillian’s, “You’re gonna fuckin’ hurt yourself.”
Our gazes clash, a thunderclap between us, but not one of anger.
“I’m fine. My pet gave me medicine after he fucked me last night and wrapped it up again this morning.” Rory smirks.
“Jesus,” Cillian says.
Ollie blushes.
Not gonna lie, I puff my chest out some in pride.
Cillian goes into the pantry and comes out with a few boxes of cereal. Just as we’re making our bowls, Tiernan and Dean come down, the space growing louder with all their voices, joking and playful, talking shit to each other.
Warm skin brushes against my arm when Ollie moves over next to me. “I’ve never known anyone who loves each other the way they do. They’re kinda amazing, aren’t they?”
My heart beats funnily, like it’s off-kilter, longing building in my chest. “Yeah…yeah they are.”
“Come on. Let’s eat.” He nods toward the table.
Rory pours his Golden Grahams, then hands the box to me. “I’m good,” I say, reaching for the Fruity Pebbles at the same time Cillian does.
“You go first,” I say.
“Nah, go for it.”
I want to argue but also don’t want to deny his kindness. It’s obvious he’s trying, and though I know he’s doing it for Rory, it means a lot to me.
I pour my bowl, then give it to him. We’re all in the middle of eating when Tiernan says, “I talked to Rian last night. Everything is taken care of. House is clean, camera footage wiped.”
“You’re fucking welcome,” Dean says, and I realize how tired he is. Has he been working on that all night? Rory mentioned he’s good with computers. “Also, fun fact: Bruce ‘signed’ the trailer over to your mom a month ago.”
My mouth drops open. I don’t know what to say. Again, this is something they’re doing for Rory, I get that, but if they’re doing it for him, that means I really am something to him, right?
“Won’t that look suspicious?” I ask Dean. “I don’t want something to come down on you guys for cleaning up my mess.”
“Our mess,” Rory corrects.
“We know what we’re doing,” Tiernan replies. “And if anyone has questions, we have people who will deal with those too. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
I shake my head. “I’m not. I just…” My gaze travels around the room, to each of them. “Thank you. Whatever I have to do to pay you back. I’m indebted to you.”
Rory grins. “You sound like you owe the Mafia. This isn’t a movie.”
“I do owe the Mafia.”
“Just don’t fuck this up,” Tiernan interrupts. “Don’t betray us. Don’t fuck with Rory. You have a pass right now, but it can be revoked at any moment, and if we revoke it, Cillian will take care of you.”
“Oooh, shit. Sucks to be you. Cil might seem levelheaded, but he’s dangerous. He’ll make it hurt,” Rory teases. How strange is it loving that he can joke around about his best friend murdering me?
“I don’t know what planet you live on, but Cillian doesn’t seem levelheaded to me,” I reply, and everyone laughs, even Cillian. “Also…you’re my boyfriend. You don’t sound real worried about my painful death.”
Rory cocks a brow. “Boyfriend?”
Oh shit. I have no idea why that word came out. I was just being playful and trying to keep the sudden comradery we all had going, and now…now I might have fucked up. But what else did he think I meant when I said he’s mine?
I shrug, trying to play it off like I’m not freaking out inside. “I told you you’re mine.”
“Boyfriend,” he tests the word. “Works for me,” he answers simply, then lifts another spoonful of cereal to his mouth, as if it’s all just that simple.
I’ve never had a boyfriend in my life, but apparently, I have one now. And I want it, want him.
I can’t keep myself from looking over at Cillian and Ollie, at the way Ollie smiles and how it feels like it warms the whole damn room.
Like all the good in the world is wrapped up in him.
Cillian seems…skeptical but curious. He wraps his arm around Rory and pulls him close, pressing his lips to Rory’s temple, and all I can think is…
that’s what love is. Rory told me some things go beyond romantic love, and I didn’t really get it… but I do now.
“Now that we have that out of the way,” Tiernan says, “Cil, I want you and Shai to go to Boston and pick up some shit from Conan.”
“I have to work today,” I answer.
“Call in,” Dean replies, and okay, maybe he’s right. Tiernan is clearly trying to get me to spend some time with Cillian, and strangely, I want to. If Rory is going to stay mine, Cillian and I have to be okay.
“I will,” I agree.
“Jesus Christ, T.” Cillian rubs a hand over his face, but he doesn’t argue, just looks at me and says, “Go get ready. We leave in an hour.”
I nod, then glance at Rory, who says, “If you’re going to share me, the two of you have to be able to play nice.”
“Hey, I’m nice!” I counter. “It’s him you have to worry about.”
“If I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead,” Cillian answers.
“Cil…” Ollie warns.
“I’m not going to hurt him.” Cillian presses his lips to Ollie’s. He doesn’t kiss him innocently either, pushing his tongue into Ollie’s mouth, and Ollie whimpers in response. Not gonna lie, my dick twitches.
Rory eases in, mouth close to my ear. “They’re beautiful together, aren’t they?”
“Yes.” They are. There’s no denying it.
“Can we not have orgies at the fucking breakfast table? Jesus Christ,” Tiernan complains.
Cillian pulls away from Ollie. “Because I don’t walk into the room half the time with you and Dean sucking on each other.”
My eyes bug out. Do they all just hook up in front of one another?
“They like to mark,” Ollie explains. “He means sucking on necks, not…you know.”
“Kitten, you’re so fucking cute.” Cillian pulls Ollie to his lap.
“Yes, because the quickest way for you to die is to see him naked.” Tiernan points to Dean.
“Or him.” Dean points to Tiernan.
And when they all laugh, I join in, feeling happy for more reasons than they’ll ever know.
*
“So…I’m assuming you know what this is, right?” I ask Cillian, sitting in the passenger seat of his car.
“Of course. I’m not a fucking idiot. Tiernan sent me off with Dean by myself when they started getting close too.”