Chapter 17 ~ #2
“He didn’t want to cause her any more grief so when she called him Mason, he didn’t correct her.
Maverick expects people not to be able to tell them apart.
He doesn’t tolerate new people—people who aren’t us who can easily tell them as two very different beings.
Then you came along. Maverick thought you were just getting lucky but you really can tell the difference between them. ” Alec watches me intently.
“I didn’t know,” I tell him, quietly. My fingers return to Maverick’s hair. His arm tightens as he nuzzles his face into me. Emotion makes my throat close up—unable to say anything.
Alec continues. “I’ve never seen Luc get as comfortable with someone new as he is with you, Rory.
When he called me to get you emancipated…
I’ve never heard him so worried, so panicked.
He told us why you weren’t taking painkillers.
” I feel Alec’s eyes search out mine but I keep them trained on Maverick.
“I didn’t want to hurt him. I don’t want to hurt any of you,” I finally manage to get out.
“Don’t you see, Rory? The only way you could possibly hurt us is if you shut us out or leave or a million other things and vice versa but we’ll never know if you decide not to open that door.” Alec sighs heavily, turning away from me but not pulling his hand away.
“We’ve never really been just friends to you, Rory and I know that’s not fair. If you don’t want to do this…the guys won’t push. We can just be friends.” Alec smiles sadly.
After everything with Dom, I can believe just how hard it is for Alec to say that.
“I don’t want to just be friends.” I surprise myself when the words escape.
Surprise fills me when Alec’s lips land on mine, his hand reaching up to cup my face.
I sigh into his kiss. My hand’s roam up his body, lacing behind his neck as they weave through his blond strands.
Alec’s kisses are gentle but not inexperienced—like he’s taking his time worshipping my lips. My eyes close, the feeling electrifying me to the point where all I feel is him.
His lips are soft and pouty. I can’t bury the need to nip at them so I give into my desire.
Alec moans and it goes straight south. He takes back control of our kiss, sucking on my bottom lip before releasing it to do the same with the top.
“Alec,” I whisper, hoarsely.
We breathe heavily, inches from each other. My hands unlock from around his neck, moving of their own accord. Having no control of my mind or limbs right now, my fingers tremble as they touch the smooth skin of his face.
I suck in much needed air as I trace his lips with the pad of my thumb. My finger wobbles as my hand shakes.
“Friends don’t feel like this,” I admit. He feels like they all do. And I don’t want to let them go.
Emotion swirls through Alec’s fierce hazel irises. He slowly turns his head, gently kissing my palm that’s cupping his face.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” Alec relents. “We’re not going anywhere, Sunshine.”
Desperately wanting to change the topic without having to admit anything, I focus on something that’s been bothering me for a while.
“Why Sunshine?” I ask him. He looks surprised, a small grin settling into his features.
“Your eyes are blue and brown, right?” Alec ask, uncertain. I nod, unsure what this has to do with anything. And more so, why he’s confused about my eye colour.
“Well, to me, they’re various shades of red and orange and a bright sliver of gold in one, which is odd considering the type of colour blindness I have.” Alec studies my eyes as he speaks.
“You’re colour blind?” I ask surprised.
He nods slightly. “It’s a blue deficiency called tritanopia.”
“How do you know what colour they actually are?” I question.
“I asked Jace. He managed to describe them in a way that I could sort of picture what they would look like but I don’t really understand what the colour actually looks like,” Alec tells me.
“My glasses help me focus enough to see shades but not the full colour. I only wear them at school mostly because it puts me at a disadvantage.”
His fingers rapidly tap the doona and I cover them with my hand.
“That’s really cool.”
Alec blinks, confused by my reaction. It’s clear that’s not the response he usually gets.
“I mean, it’s probably not ideal for you but you get to see the world in a way that no one else sees,” I explain my thinking.
The emotion and complexity of the deep thoughts swirling in Alec’s own deep irises leave me gasping for air.
He closes his eyes, cutting off the two way mirror into each others’ souls as he seems to gather his thoughts.
I can almost hear his voice in his head as he counts until ten, then his eyes flicker open once more.
Then he smiles.
“Thank you, Sunshine.” Alec raises his hand, tucking my curls behind my ear.
His face scrunches up and before I can ask if he’s okay, he sneezes.
Maverick bolts upright at the loud noise. He looks around, bewildered as to what woke him. The face he makes at being disrupted from his much needed sleep is too freaking cute.
Alec and I stare at each other, mirth glimmering in our eyes until it’s too much and we burst out laughing.
After finally managing to control ourselves and explaining to Maverick why he was disturbed, we head out to find the guys.
“Well, shit.” Maverick chuckles as we leave my room entering blackness. Alec and I had been so lost in reading that it had gotten dark and we hadn’t noticed.
I follow Alec into the kitchen where he puts our cups in the dishwater.
Maverick wanders off and returns with Alec’s hoodie and two of his.
“Thanks.” I shiver at the cold air, quickly pulling Mav’s jumper over my head. I resist the urge to lift it to my nose. All the guys have their own unique scent and they all smell fucking good.
“Where is everyone?” I ask Alec and Maverick.
They exchange grins and stay quiet. Alec steps up to my left, his fingers sliding through mine as Maverick grabs my other hand. A secret passes through them as their eyes meet over my head.
I follow them out the back towards the scrub where Jace, Mason and Dominic are sitting around a huge bonfire in the wooden verandah chairs.
Flames lick the bricks containing them, dancing up towards the millions of stars luminated away from the house lights.
I pull my hands away from Alec and Maverick, stepping up to the fire.
The cold immediately pounces on my hands and I almost shove them in the fire. I flex my fingers, warming them by the red and orange flames. It’s been a long time since I’ve been around a fire. One that hasn’t been used against me anyway.
Jace’s family did bonfires in winter a lot. Dec, Jace and I would eat marshmallows until we physically couldn’t anymore or Helen stopped us—whatever came first. I still remember one of my earliest bonfires.
Declan snickers with Jace, falling onto the ground beside me.
I wiggle my fingers in front of the fire. Distracted by the pretty colours, I forget about my marshmallow steadily burning in the open flames.
Dec pulls out the stick when the marshmallow catches fire.
“You’ve got to watch it, sis,” he reminds me. He pulls off the burnt sticky stuff and flicks it into the fire.
I lean back against Bear’s legs and cross my arms, pouting. Bear chuckles and plays with my ponytail.
“Come on, Ro-Ro,” J sits on my other side, his grey eyes twinkling, “we’ll teach you.”
Arms curl around my waist, tugging me out of the memory. Jace holds me from behind and I lean my head back against his chest. He presses his lips to my temple, leaving them to linger momentarily.
“Thinking about Dec?” Jace murmurs softly in my ear. Mind reader.
“When he and you taught me how to not burn marshmallows.”
Jace laughs softly. I shiver as his deep voice echoes through me.
His arms tighten around me. “Still cold?” He rubs up and down my arms.
I shake my head, unable to speak.
He tugs me back. Jace sits in his chair and I curl up on his lap, his arms going back around me.
The warmth of the fire is strong enough to reach us from the chair. Maverick passes me a pair of socks that I gratefully take, pulling over my cold feet.
Jace grumbles about special treatment and puts his bare feet up on the rocks near the fire.
I snuggle back into Jace’s hold. His hands sneak under my shirt, resting on my stomach.
Fuck, they’re cold! I squirm away from his freezing fingers.
“Mmm,” Jace groans, “you’re warm.”
“You’re cold!” I shoot back, half heartedly.
I pull my hands back from where they’d been outstretched towards the fire and cover Jace’s hands with mine, trying to warm up his frozen digits.
Jace leans down, kissing the inside of my neck.
I bite my lip to keep from smiling widely.
I glance up and see the rest of the guys smiling, relaxed expressions on all their faces.
I still don’t know exactly what happened while I was gone but I know the guys are still wary of Jace. Like they’re stepping on eggshells around him, waiting for something to go wrong.
My leaving killed Jace and from what I do know…it wasn’t good.
We talk around the fire for a bit before Jace has to get up. Before I can sit back down, Dominic snags me. I sit on his knees and he pulls me flush against him.
“Hey, Sweetheart,” Dom’s southern accent calls to me like music to a songbird.
“Maverick!” Jace calls out from the house.
Mav rolls his eyes. “Coming!” He pulls off his own socks and goes to help Jace.
“Hey,” I whisper softly back to Dom. He dips his head, slowly capturing my lips in a sweet kiss that leaves me feeling dazed and happy.
I turn back to face the fire, trying to clear my head and end up meeting Mason’s gaze. It seems he’s always giving me the ‘don’t stress’ look but this one…this one’s deeper. He’s smiling but his eyes are hooded, the heat I’m trying to banish dancing in his own.
“See what you’re doing to him, Sweetheart?” Dom drawls lowly in my ear. My toes curl at his gravelly, heat-stirring voice. His large hands on my waist keep me planted in his lap.