42. Creed
Chapter 42
Creed
I feel the moment Tony’s nose breaks beneath my fist with a satisfying crack . I grin and welcome the pain that flares in my knuckles when I grip him by the shirt, rear my fist back and hit him again, this time the hit cracking across his jaw. I can’t help but laugh maniacally when he spits blood and a tooth accompanies it.
He knew exactly why the fuck I was here by the way he laughed when I barged into his bus.
I’d told Collins I was going to get the three of us some late night ice cream and snacks to celebrate the start of our beautiful throuple, but my plan took a detour when one of Asher’s men called me and reported what he’d witnessed earlier tonight.
The McTavish brothers’ security team are highly skilled men and women who are trained to remain in the shadows so their charges have no idea they’re there unless they make themselves known.
I’d just pulled up to the 24/7 convenience store with my hat and sunglasses ready when I received a call. It was one of the guards named Jones who told me what had happened between Tony and Collins tonight. How Tony had cornered my girl the moment Steve had pulled me and Riley away and showed her a video on his phone. Jones said he didn’t see or hear what was said between the two, but he caught a clip of the video as he'd stepped up to intervene, but Collins had taken matters into her own hands. He said that she’d shoved him so hard he fell flat on his ass and smashed his phone against the wall before storming off, one of the female guards following silently on her heels.
What has me seeing fucking red is the fact that the video was one of Collins in yet another compromising state, being taken advantage of. By motherfucking Tony and fuck knows who else. My heart physically aches at the mere thought of everything my girl was put through and I’m ready to seriously kill someone over it. Multiple someone’s, actually.
I knew something was bothering her from the moment I’d opened the door to my dressing room she stood there looking stricken and panicked, like she was desperate to tell me something. But then she had just played it off like it was nothing but nerves for her performance. I’d felt it again on the ride to the hotel but with my plan in place, I’d needed to get her out of her own head and grill her about it later.
Now she won’t have to relive it by telling me because I get to take care of the problem right the fuck now. I’ve hated Tony from the moment he joined the band and now we finally get to get rid of the fucker.
Tony tries to right himself and charge at me but Bear intervenes and grabs him from behind. I’d called him on my way over and was already up and waiting for me by the time I’d stormed the bus. We’ve been lucky with the extra security keeping paparazzi at bay so moving around tonight has been a breeze so far. I’d hate to knock out an innocent that tried to keep me from getting revenge.
“I don’t see what the big deal is, Creed.” Tony laughs through bloody teeth as he struggles in Bear’s grip. “You and Riley are clearly fucking her by the way she clings to each of you like some needy bitch. So why the fuck can’t I join in, huh?”
“Shut the fuck up.” His question is cut off on a garbled rasp at Bear’s growled words. His grip shifts and he wraps one of his fucking gigantic biceps around Tony’s neck, cutting off his ability to speak. Probably robbing him of taking a full breath, too, if the growing redness in his face is any indicator. Bear’s eyes meet mine from behind Tony and he lifts a blonde brow at me. I shake my head once because now is not the time to talk about it.
But Tony is Tony, which by definition means he’s not very smart. So of course he keeps speaking. “Sharing is caring, right boys? Think about it, it’d be like… zero adjustment period for her to go from two to three. You know, considering I’ve already had a taste of her and all.”
No sooner do the words leave his mouth that my fist is connecting with his nose again and he wails in pain. He sways in Bear’s arms, fighting consciousness when the look in my friend’s eyes looks about as murderous as I’m positive mine does right now.
“The fuck is he talking about? ‘Already had a taste?’ ” Bear spits, barely hanging on to a quickly waning Tony who’s sleepily laughing like he’s the cat who won the cock, or however the saying goes. But I notice that Bear’s looking at me like he wants to rip me in two and it’s got me confused as fuck. He suddenly drops Tony like he’s a bag of dicks and storms over, shoving me back against the wall with a grip so tight in my t-shirt that it threatens to tear the fabric.
“You wanna let go of me? Collins likes this shirt. Makes a pretty dress on her.”
“Did you let Tony touch Collins?” His question shocks me and it hits me now why he’s so close to murdering me. I understand and even appreciate the protectiveness that he’s showing of my girl right now, but it’s sorely misplaced and I won’t sit back and let him accuse me of a goddamned thing.
“You seriously think I would let that sack of shit anywhere near Collins?” I grip his shirt back and shove him off of me and I know it’s a move he allowed because he wouldn’t have budged otherwise. “You think that I’d willingly let him even share the same space as her? Fuck, Bear. She was my family before she was my girl. I’ve protected her my whole fucking life. I might have lost her for a while, but she’s here and she’s fucking mine.” I grit the last word through my teeth, clamping a clawing hand at my chest. “She’s mine to protect from anyone and anything that I’d see as a fucking threat. My world could be falling into chaos while keeping her safe and I couldn’t give two fucks as long as all she sees are fucking sunshine and rainbows.”
My massive friend looks at me for a moment before sighing and running a hand through his long blonde hair. “Why do you think I called you here tonight, Bear? I want this motherfucker gone. I’m two seconds from strangling the fucking life out of him. The shit he’s talking about? A security guard told me what he overheard and saw. He has a video of Collins.”
His eyes snap to mine, fury burning bright, finally aimed back at the right person. “A video?”
I nod, not wanting to share too much, but needing to share enough to stress just how badly we need Tony fucking gone . “Tony lied when he said his buddy had just discovered Viper. From what I’ve just been told tonight, he’s been a fucking VIP member there for a while and he’s met Collins before.”
I don’t dare say more, but the implication is enough because I see the pieces clicking together for Bear.
Before we can do a goddamned thing about it, the door to the bus blows open and Steve comes hobbling onto the bus, his lips flapping and jowls jiggling as he talks a million miles an hour about going to some bar, but he pauses mid-sentence when he sees me and Bear standing over a now-unconscious Tony.
His face pales before he looks back up, looking a little confused and a whole lot scared. “What the hell is going on here?” he asks, struggling to kneel down beside Tony to check his pulse.
I roll my eyes and shift my stance with my hands on my hips. “He’s not dead, Steve.”
“Well why the fuck is he bloody and unconscious?! ”
I scoff shrugging with my hands, “Because I fucking punched him, why else?”
“What right did you have to put your hands on a bandmate in such a way?” He asks, trying for professionalism, but it falls flat when he glances at a stabby-looking Bear.
I take a few steps toward him and crouch down until we’re nearly eye to eye. He rears back at whatever he sees in my face. Good. “What fucking right did he have to take advantage of an innocent woman?”
Steve’s eyes bug out in shock as he asks, “What? Who?”
This fucking guy.
“Does it really fucking matter, Steve? He sexually assaulted a woman. He fucked up. Probably more than once. But don’t worry, we’re taking care of it.”
“Do you have proof?” He asks on a wheeze as he struggles to stand again. I could help him, but I don’t feel like it. He and Tony are tighter than a virgin asshole so he gets nothing from me.
I step back to where Bear is standing and lean against the little counter, carefully watching a still-unconscious Tony. “Security reported that he saw a video being played from his phone. A video that he showed to someone backstage. The video was fucking implicating and by the way he was speaking, he’s absolutely guilty of sexual assault.”
Bear freezes up beside me, no doubt finally getting the final picture in his head of what’s happened to Collins. Steve’s face pales and sweat beads on his brow. A really weird flash of recognition dawns on his face for a moment and he looks fucking scared. I narrow my eyes at him as he whips a tissue from his handy-dandy suit jacket and starts to dab at the moisture rapidly collecting on his face.
I notice in my periphery when Bear pulls out his phone and shoots off a text to god knows who before he goes back to looking murderous. Something’s changed in my friend and I’ve noticed he’s become more stoic and a lot angrier since finding Collins at Viper.
Both of our heads snap to Steve when he starts to wobble and mutter something under his breath. Something that sounded an awful lot like “I didn’t know”.
“What did you say?” I ask, my voice low and dangerous.
“Didn’t know what?” Bear demands. Okay, so I wasn’t imagining it.
A thought damn near sucker punches me. Steve couldn’t have…? We were all overseas during the European tour, but there were lots of nights before then that he and Tony would bail on the band outings to go to various clubs.
Collins didn’t seem to recognize Tony or Steve in passing but she also mentioned that the clients were required to wear masks in those rooms.
I fucking know . I just fucking know something isn’t right. The way that they both leered with familiarity at her anytime they had to be in the same space together, the way Steve insisted on knowing her real name. She told me how she disguised herself the best she could, but even I recognized her up close.
Then something clicks . He was fucking there, too. This motherfucker has gone to Viper with Tony at some point and he fucking touched my girl. Pain splices through my chest and I feel like I’m going to fucking puke and I can’t stop the anguished, angry sounding groan that escapes my lips silence for a moment while Steve starts wringing his sausage fingers together just as Tony starts to rouse.
“You motherfuckers!” I shout as I launch myself at the two of them and manage to heel-kick Tony in the ribs before he’s even lifted his head, flattening him out again. I cock my fist and hook Steve so hard in the jaw that I feel my knuckles split from the hit. His cries are music to my fucking ears. I rear back to hit him again but I’m yanked back by Bear at the same time the door to the bus busts open and Asher’s entire security team comes pouring in, the guy I spoke to earlier at the forefront.
That must have been who Bear had texted because none of them look surprised .
My fist throbs, one of my fingers is slightly numb but I revel in the feel of the blood running down the tips of my fingers. Every drop, every throb is a reminder of how I failed her. Every sting of split skin as I clench my fist is a fucking oath to keep her safe and happy for the rest of my life.
Shit. I’m gonna have a hard time explaining this to Collins, but I promised my girl and boy complete and total honesty, so that’s what they’re going to get.
I shake myself from Bear’s grip and take in the scene around me. This isn’t like your typical police raid where they bust in and read your rights before taking you out in cuffs. Knowing who the McTavish brothers are tells me that these guys come from some underground organization and they don’t give a fuck about morality or laws, especially when it comes to pieces of shit like Tony and Steve.
They’ve got Steve and Tony both zip-tied and gagged in seconds flat, each with a security guard behind them, guns to the backs of their heads. They both look like they’re going to piss themselves and I almost can’t appreciate it because these dudes are scary as fuck when they emerge from the shadows they’re paid to hide in.
Steve is stammering over his own words, stumbling over his own feet when they start to lead him from the bus. Tony turns his eyes on me before they shove him down the stairs, they’re wild and frantic, but also brimming with hate. Good.
Jones, the guard I’d spoken to earlier, approaches us, his face a mask of indifference, but you can’t miss the rage rolling off of him in waves. For half a second, he lets that mask slip. “Thank you for texting.”
Bear opens his mouth to say something, but Jones continues. “Everything I see, I not only have to report to you, but I have to report to Mr. McTavish and Asher as well. My team and I were planning to take down Tony on my boss’ orders after what I’d witnessed tonight, but Steve sealed his fate right along with him when Bear had texted me. ”
All I can do is nod, because I feel like I’m in shock from these revelations and my brain is refusing to process that my girlfriend, my Stardust, my Collins was sexually assaulted by two people who were so close to me. In proximity. Not emotionally.
Guilt and self-loathing start warring for dominance in my brain because it’s yet another damning example of how I’ve horribly failed to protect my sweet girl.
Before I can spiral too deep into my own thoughts, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out to see Callan lit upon the screen. Jones catches it and walks off with a nod, exiting the bus. Bear tells me he’s going to talk to him some more to get details on what the fuck happens next but will be back. I nod and swipe to answer.
“Hello?”
“Mr. St. James.”
I roll my eyes, hating the formality but I guess that’s how these underground bosses do things. I would tell him to just call me Creed, but I have a feeling that request would be ignored, so I just scrap it.
“What can I do for you, Mr. McTavish?” I really don’t want to be talking to anyone right now. I’d rather be on my way back to my people who are probably all blissed out on orgasms and snuggling in bed.
I really need some fucking snuggles, too, after this shit show.
Callan’s accent doesn’t seem as strong as his brother’s, but he does sound like he just rolled out of bed, just as annoyed to be making this call as I am taking it. But he gets straight to the point, which I can appreciate. “Steve and Tony will be taken to one of our remote warehouses and held there until you decide what will become of them.”
Uh, what? “What will become of them?” I ask curiously.
“That’s what you decide.” My question was meant to parrot his, a request for elaborating, but I guess that went over his head. It’s nearly 2:30 in the morning.
“But why would I decide? Are there some multiple choice answers you could give me or something because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He sighs, the sound followed by rustling sounds and a distant, “Go back to sleep, Mo’ Dhia.” It’s quiet for a minute before he speaks again. “In my world, men like those we took tonight don’t commit the acts they committed and fucking walk away unpunished. Not only are these men now my prisoners, but they committed crimes against my family. That must be punished.”
His voice sounds downright lethal, but my brain snags on something he said. “We’re not?—”
“Asher is family, Mr. St. James,” he explains. “By extension, his family is my family. And we protect at all costs. My brother would usually be the one who takes care of situations like this, but seeing as Miss Weston is your woman, it’s up to you to decide their fates. The same will be for when her stalker is caught.”
Decide their fates? What, like kill them?
I almost laugh at the thought. I mean, yeah, I just told Lachlan that I wanted Guy six feet under once he’s found, but actually deciding if Tony and Steve live or die? For some reason that feels like too much responsibility on my shoulders.
“Precisely. The decision is yours.” He drawls like it’s no big deal, when I realize I must have said that out loud.
“Ah—Can I think on that and get back to you? I need to process some shit and get some sleep before I give an answer that I can actually live with.” I rake a hand through my hair and huff out a laugh with no humor behind it, pacing the floor. “Right now, I’d say kill the fuckers, but I think that’s the adrenaline and sleep deprivation talking.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Take your time. Like I said, we’ll hold them until you decide what to do with them. We’ll give them just enough food and water to get by, but they’re now considered prisoners. It will be no life of luxury for them.”
“Good.” I snap without hesitation.
He goes over some security details and how he’ll be rearranging to send Asher to join the team and my heart does a little flip. It’ll feel good to have my family all in one place again. I hate the circumstances that led to getting him here, but we’ll all be together. It’s one more person that loves and will protect Collins with his life. He says it’ll be a few weeks before that happens, as he needs to train someone new to take over his position guarding his sister in-law. It sucks to have to wait but by then we’ll be done with the tour, and hopefully Guy will be caught and hauled off to the warehouse where he can rot with the rest of those who hurt my girl and probably so many other girls.
I should leave it up to the victims to decide what the fuck to do with them. But I would never make them face their aggressors, so I’ll take one for the team and decide whether to allow three murders to take place or not.
“Go get some rest tonight. Riley and Collins are still safe.” He says softly, but it makes me pause. He chuckles before he explains, “I’ve got eyes everywhere. It’s my job to keep my family safe and to know where they are at all times.”
I almost want to tell him to not be a creep about it, but in all honesty, I appreciate the protection, because it’s also somehow kept the paparazzi at bay, too.
I’m anxious to get back to my girl so I opt for a “Thank you, sir.” And hang up after asking him to keep me updated on finding Guy.
I hate that we have to keep her a secret and sort of force her into the shadows when all I want to do is show her off as mine and Riley’s.
Thoughts of the two of them riding each other to multiple orgasms and snuggling up together in a warm bath with their favorite ice cream has my dick rock hard. It’s not even the thought of them fucking, it’s their genuine happiness and peace that they find in one another that has me losing my mind in the best way.
With that thought, I’m off the bus and sprinting toward my rental car when I hear Bear calling out my name. I so badly want to pretend I didn’t hear him just so I can get back to my people sooner, but after he stood up for Collins earlier I pause and wait for him to catch up to me. Plus, I know we have shit to talk about for the rest of the tour.
“I’m sorry,” he starts when he’s standing just a few feet away, his hands tucked into his pockets. “I shouldn’t have assumed what I did earlier about Tony touching Collins.”
The mention of it has my body tensing and anger rising within me all over again. But I tamp it down and nod at him. “No need to apologize for sticking up for my girl. She needs more people in her corner. The more to protect her, the better.”
Now it’s his turn to nod. I can tell there’s more he wants to say about what just went down but instead he clears his throat and runs a hand through his hair. I notice the dark circles under his eyes and it looks like he’s lost sleep on more nights than just tonight. I feel like a shitty friend for not asking him if he’s okay, but I make a mental note to talk to him tomorrow. All this bullshit with Guy stalking Collins has got me neglecting my other relationships with my bandmates.
“What are we gonna do about the rest of the tour? This was our first fucking concert of too-fucking-many ahead and we’ve lost our bass player. I don’t give a fuck about Tony and we’ll survive without Steve, but what do we do about the set list without a bassist?”
I sigh, running my hands over my face. “I can’t play bass, not since I was a fucking kid. I mean, I could, but I’d rather not risk fucking the songs up. Our songs are one thing, but I’m not overly familiar with the instrumentation of As We Stand’s music.”
My phone buzzes again in my pocket and I secretly hope it’s Collins or Riley. But it’s not. It’s Lachlan, and his text to me is the next best thing because it’s like he was fucking reading our minds.
Lachlan: If you need someone to fill in the position until you find a new bassist, I have someone for you. Let me know and I can have them on a flight to you within the hour. He’s savvy on that type of music, especially that of Dark Sins .
“Crazy fucker.” I could kiss him right now.
“What’s that about?” Bear asks, walking up next to me. I show him the text and he huffs a laugh. “I don’t know much about these dudes, but I swear to God they’ve got connections every-fucking-where. But whatever, we should take him up on it.”
“Agreed.” I nod, texting Lachlan, telling him to send his guy to us. My phone buzzes again a few seconds later.
Lachlan: He’s set to board our private jet in 45 minutes. His name is Blair. BE NICE TO HIM CREED.
I roll my eyes at that.
Me: I’m not an asshole, Lachlan. So long as he’s respectful, we’ll look after him like he’s family.
I send another text.
Me: Send him my information, have him text when he lands. I’ll send one of our drivers to get him, along with some of your security. We’ll talk to him and get him caught up in the morning.
Lachlan: Done.
Bear nods in approval before backing away a few steps. “I’ll have Tony’s bus cleaned up and cleaned out. We’ll stock it for this Blair guy in the morning before we hit the road for the next city. We’ve got the week to practice with him so let’s hope that’s enough.”
“Everything will be fine. At least we have to believe that because I can’t take anymore life dumpster fires.” I yawn and open the door to the rental car, looking back at Bear as I slide into the driver’s seat. “Get some sleep, Barrett. You look like shit.”
That earns me the first smile I’ve seen on him in a while. He flips me off and heads back toward his own bus. It hits me on the way back to the hotel that he didn’t make any kind of comment on Riley being with Collins as well. It’s not like I was trying to keep a secret like that, and the fact that Riley had a matching purple kiss on his face as me could have clued him in. The three of us have been glued to each other’s hips since Collins came home so I guess it makes sense, in a way.
After stopping to get three gigantic tubs of our favorite ice creams, I’m practically sprinting from my car the moment I throw it into park and cut the engine. I get lucky and don’t have to wait long for an elevator either. The second the doors slide open, I’m giddy as fuck and hauling ass to the door that leads to our room. My phone buzzes again in my pocket and I pause just shy of swiping the keycard. If it’s something bad, I’d rather see it now, than risk upsetting Collins and Riley.
Collins has been good lately and hasn’t slipped into any dissociative episodes and I really want to keep it that way, as far as we can control it.
I see it’s another text from Lachlan.
Lachlan: Update on the stalker: there were photos captured of Collins while she was shopping with Ayla today. We’re combing through security footage of the stores and traffic cams throughout the city to see if it was him, or if he’s having someone tail her. There are five photos sent to her old phone in total. My security team reported nothing out of the ordinary, so we’re looking into this even deeper if they were able to go undetected by my team.
Another text comes through as I feel my pulse starting to pound.
Lachlan: No other photos have been sent and we have no indication that he, nor anyone else who could be a potential threat had been in attendance of the concert tonight. All of the photos are of before Collins colored her hair, so if it’s a detail that happened later on, it could help with her anonymity while out in public. Still best to keep her close and keep security on her at all times.
I’m trying to regulate my breathing over this update. I should’ve fucking waited.
Me: Fuck. thanks for the update. I won’t let her out of my sight. Thanks again for all you’re doing. She’s everything, so I appreciate your efforts to help keep her safe.
Lachlan’s answer is simple.
Lachlan: She’s family.
Well fuck me. These crazy Scottish bastards really mean it and they’ve never even met her.
I leave the conversation at that and swipe the card, eager to get back to my girl.
Another text comes through and I’m about tapped out on people stopping me from ravaging Collins at least one more time before I let her sleep. But when I pull my phone out, I see that it’s Asher.
Asher: I just received orders that I’ll be transferred soon. Tell Bug that I can’t wait to come home.
My chest tightens at his old nickname for her. I tell him that I’ll relay the message and shove my phone back into my pocket, ready to be done with the fucking thing for the night.
I push my way into the main room like a madman, stumbling over my own shoes as I try to kick them off as I walk and that’s when a sound hits me.
I freeze when I hear it again.
A moan.
My dick is instantly rock solid and my feet are moving before I can even form a thought. I follow the sounds all the way to the main bedroom and into the bathroom. I drop the ice cream on the bedside table and head straight for the sounds that keep emitting throughout the quiet space. It’s steamy as fuck in there which tells me that they’ve been showering for a while.
I hear another broken, rasping moan and crack the door open. The entire space smells like her bodywash mixed with a whole lot of sex and I think it’s my favorite new smell in the whole world .
“ Fuck, ” I whisper to myself as I lean against the doorframe and take in the sight before me. I don’t dare make a sound because there’s no fucking way I’m interrupting what I’m seeing.
Riley’s on his knees and he’s got Collins propped up against the white tiled wall of the shower, her legs thrown over his shoulders. Her cotton candy hair is plastered to her face and her head is thrown back in pleasure. She looks so fucking beautiful like this. Riley’s fucking devouring her pussy like it’s his last meal. It’s the most erotic sight, but nothing compares to the moment she comes. I love the huskiness of her voice as she cries out, calling his name. The next moment, she tips her head down and their eyes lock as she buries her hands in his wet auburn hair, her body shaking from her orgasm. I nearly come in my pants when I hear his soft hum against her pussy and it makes her whole body shudder again.
I silently watch as he eases her down, gently placing her legs back on the floor one at a time, kissing and stroking the inside of her thighs before placing a kiss right over her mound.
Collins smiles a sleepy, sated smile as she grabs Riley’s hands and pulls him to stand. They’re pressed so tightly against one another and my heart swells when he cups her face and her hands reach up to grip his wrists. Their foreheads press together and they just…stand there. Completely content to be in each other’s space. He whispers something to her that makes her smile and she whispers back.
I don’t know what they said and I decide I don’t care, either. I’ve never seen them so happy or tranquil and that alone is enough for me. My dick can take a breather, no matter how hard he is for what I just saw.
I quietly leave the bathroom and quickly get undressed and rinse my bloody knuckles off in the kitchen, hissing at the cold water when it hits the split skin.
I’ll tell the whole story in the morning.
I get back to the room and I’m just getting onto the bed in just my boxers when Riley and Collins step back into the room, both wrapped in towels. My eyes find Collins’ first and there’s a flash of nervousness before she fucking beams like the brightest star and bounds toward me.
“You’re back!” She squeaks out in excitement right as I catch her and wrap my arms around her.
I chuckle as I bury my nose in her freshly washed hair. “Miss me, Stardust ?”
“Always,” she whispers before releasing me to sit up. She kisses me, sweet and quick, before rummaging through her overnight bag and pulls out one of my t-shirts and dresses herself in it.
No panties, Stardust?
Riley’s dressed in a pair of joggers that make his ass look spectacular, not to mention his massive dick that’s outlined in the front of them. I make sure to tell him so and he laughs, albeit a bit awkwardly.
He rubs at the back of his neck as he takes a seat on the opposite side of the bed as me. Collins plops down between us a second later with the bag of ice cream and three giant spoons.
I promised her we’d clear the air once I got back with ice cream, and really define what this relationship is between us. I don’t want anyone to feel awkward, so I figured ice cream conversations would be enough of a buffer to not feel threatening or like anyone was being backed into a corner.
“Ugh, I was fucking starving.” Collins moans after digging into her cookies n’ cream ice cream. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, baby. I’ll buy you ice cream wherever and whenever you want.”
“Those are dangerous words, Creed.” She teases, taking another massive bite. There’s a little drop setting on her lower lip, but before she can lick it clean, Riley shocks me by leaning forward and doing it for her before kissing her.
My eyes are wide with surprise when he looks at me and suddenly he looks scared.
Oh fuck, none of that .
I stab my Moose Tracks ice cream with my spoon and scoop a bite that rivals Collins’. “Nuh, uh, Ri. None of that.”
“What?” He asks, sounding nervous. It causes Collins to pause her bite to look at me, then him. She sets her spoon down and places her hand on his knee and gives him a reassuring squeeze.
“I don’t want any of that” I gesture towards the face he’s currently making, “If we’re doing this.” I mumble around a huge bite, gesturing the spoon between the three of us.
All relationships have rules, and it’s time that I make it clear what mine will be.