Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
DANIEL
Icome awake to a nagging ache in my lower back and the knowledge that I’m not alone in the bed.
Memory returns a second later, and I smile. The body sprawled over mine is Skye’s, and the reason he’s naked and entwined with me is because we spent the night having heart-stoppingly good sex… and because the bed is a twin and too small for both of us—which is probably why my back hurts.
The room is still dim, but not dark, and I glance toward the window. The shade is down, but there’s soft light peeking around it, which means it’s time for me to be up. Hopefully I’m not already late.
Carefully, I disentangle myself from Skye and settle his head on the pillow.
He grumbles but immediately buries his face, so I’d say he’s not ready to get up yet.
I grab my pants, dig my phone from my pocket, and check the time.
I’m not late, but I definitely need to get moving.
Skye, on the other hand, can spend another couple hours in bed.
I dress quietly, then grab Skye’s phone, switch it to silent mode, and send him a good morning text so he doesn’t think I’ve sneaked out.
I mean, I am sneaking out, but not in a wham, bam, thank-you, man kind of way.
We didn’t get to talk about this—us—last night, but I hope he’s not just thinking it was a favor for a newly bisexual friend.
I hope he’s open to the idea of dating me… making this fake boyfriend thing real.
Message sent, I switch the phone’s sound back on and put it on the pillow beside his head where he can’t help but see it first thing.
Then I slip out of the room, peering around the edge of the door first to make sure I’m not going to run into Ewan leaving Josh’s apartment.
That would be just the kind of thing to happen in the comedy of errors that’s currently my life, but I don’t want to have a conversation about me and Skye with Ewan before I have it with Skye.
Luckily, the coast is clear. He’s probably already in the barn—it’s his morning to take care of the animals.
The house is still quiet as I creep down the stairs.
There might be someone in the kitchen already, or if not, they’ll be arriving soon, but the guests are all still in bed, as is Josh, and none of the other day staff has arrived yet.
I make it all the way to the staff door without being seen and reach for the handle with a profound sense of relief.
“What are you doing?” Connor’s uncle Norval booms from behind me, and I jump, knocking myself off balance and colliding with the door.
“Shit!” I clutch my chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!” I turn to face him as he clucks his tongue and folds his arms across his barrel-broad chest, his beard bristling.
“Don’t sneak around being suspicious, then.”
“I’m not,” I lie. “I work here. I came to check if any vegetables are needed today.” It’s a shitty cover story, especially since I brought up all the vegetables that were ready yesterday, but I only need him to buy it long enough for me to get out of here.
He smirks. “In Skye’s room?”
Oops.
“Sure.” It doesn’t sound convincing at all. “He was the one I had to check with.”
The harrumphing noise he makes is really impressive. I wonder if it took him a thousand years of ghosthood to perfect it, or if it’s something I can learn. “It must have taken you a long time to… check. I didn’t see you come in.”
I sigh. This is ridiculous. “Look, Norval, I have to get to work. Is there something you wanted?”
His eyes narrow, and he looms ominously—which is quite a feat, since we’re the same height. “I don’t like all this secrecy you and Skye have going on. In my day, a man did his courting out in the open, not sneaking around like he had something to be ashamed of.”
That’s… kind of sweet. Is he giving me “the talk”? I like that he’s looking out for Skye. But I’m not going to explain or justify myself to someone who was “courting” back when a few chickens made for an acceptable dowry.
“I’m not ashamed of anything I’m doing,” I say flatly, looking him dead in the eyes. “What’s between me and Skye is our business, not yours. When we’re ready to share it, we will.”
We stand there glaring at each other for another minute before he grudgingly nods. “He’s a good lad, and conduits don’t always have it easy. Make sure you look after him.”
“I did that even when there was nothing but friendship between us.” I turn back to the door and make my escape as Norval erupts into hearty laughter.
If I’m lucky, Ewan will be in the barn and I’ll be able to sneak into the cottage with no one the wiser.
“Daniel?”
I’m not lucky.
I turn my head as Ewan comes out of the barn as I pass. “Hey. Horses all set?”
He laughs and falls into step beside me. “Yep. So… been for a run?”
Seizing on the excuse, I nod. “Yep.”
“In your boots and jeans?”
Shit.
He waits. I say nothing else.
“Dan, c’mon, you gotta give me something.”
“I have no idea what you mean.” I can’t blame him for asking, though. We don’t share personal details or anything, but he and I have always talked about our love lives. I just need a chance to talk to Skye first.
“Fine,” he concedes. “Just know that Josh and I think it’s great.”
I side-eye him. Dammit. “Not that I have any clue what you’re talking about… but what and why do you think it’s great?”
Rolling his eyes as we reach the cottage, he stomps the dust off his boots and opens the door.
“Let’s say that hypothetically you were starting something with another person who works here…
someone we’ve known for a long time and who you have undeniable chemistry with.
Josh and I think that would be great for you both. ”
“You think we have chemistry?” The question slips out before I can stop it.
Because really? I thought I was straight until three days ago.
“I mean, this hypothetical person you hypothetically think I might hypothetically be starting something with. You think we have chemistry? Hypothetically,” I add as I close the door behind me.
“I don’t think that word is meant to be used like that.” He leads the way to the kitchen, where I get the frypan and the toaster while he raids the fridge.
“That doesn’t answer the question.” Did everyone know I wasn’t straight before I did? Why didn’t someone mention it? Or at least drop some hints?
“Yes, I think there’s chemistry between you. Am I wrong?”
I raise a brow, and he sighs. “Hypothetically.”
Staring into the pan, waiting for it to be hot enough—and not avoiding his gaze at all—I shrug. “I guess. I feel stupid that I was so blind.”
Ewan snorts. “Oh, please. We were all blind.”
I look up. “But you just said—”
“Chemistry doesn’t have to be sexual. You and—” He cuts himself off at my warning glare. “You and this hypothetical person clicked from the moment you met. That happens all the time and leads to long friendships. Maybe if you’d known you were bi then, things would have been different. Maybe not.”
Feeling a lot better—and less stupid—I add bacon to the pan. “So you don’t think this is a mistake? Hypo—”
“Please stop saying that word,” he begs. “I regret ever mentioning it.”
Laughing—because he’s not wrong, and I never want to hear it again—I repeat, “You don’t think this is a mistake?”
Ewan puts the bread in the toaster. “What? You being bisexual or maybe hooking up with S— you-know-who?”
“He’s not cursed!” Carter snaps, popping into the kitchen. I start hard enough to bump the frypan, and we all watch in horror as it skids across the stovetop, grease spattering.
Thankfully, nothing catches fire, and I turn off the burner and take a deep breath. This is the second time this morning a ghost has done this to me, and I’m getting tired of it.
Slowly turning to Carter, I say, “Do not—ever—do that again.”
“I’m sorr—”
I hold up a hand. “No. How would you have felt if I’d burned myself? Or if this house had burned down?” It wouldn’t have got to that—the fire blanket is right here in the kitchen, and Ewan and I are pretty fast with it—but we’ve talked to Carter about this before, and he doesn’t listen.
“It was an accident,” he sulks.
“You’re supposed to give us warning before you appear,” Ewan reminds him.
“The ghostly wind didn’t work out, remember?” Carter seems genuinely upset, and I feel myself softening toward him. Our ghosts might be annoying, but they’re ours.
“What if you come in through the front door?” Ewan suggests. “That way we’ll hear it open and close and know you’re coming.” Carter and I both stare at him incredulously, and he shrugs. “What? It could work.”
Unlikely, but I’m not going to argue the point. “Try it,” I say firmly to Carter, who nods unhappily.
“This was my home,” he whispers.
“Which is why we haven’t tried to keep you out. We enjoy your company, Carter.” That’s stretching things a bit, but he perks right up. “We just don’t like being constantly startled.”
His nod this time is more enthusiastic. “I can use the door. Now…” He leans in. “Do you really think dating Skye is a mistake?”
I turn my attention to rescuing the bacon. “I never said that, and I’m offended that you would suggest it.”
While he sputters an apology, the toast pops, and Ewan and I busy ourselves getting breakfast on the table.
“To answer your question,” Ewan says, forking up his first bite, “you’re the only one who can decide whether it’s a mistake. Any of it.”
I chew faster, swallow, and point my fork at him. “Not helpful.”
“Do you want my opinion?” Carter asks. I briefly consider saying no, but that would just hurt his feelings.
“Sure.”
“Nothing’s a mistake unless you regret it.”
I blink, then look at Ewan, who seems similarly surprised. “Thanks, Carter. That’s really… That helps.”
His pleased smile makes me glad I didn’t say it was surprisingly helpful, like I’d originally been going to. I take another bite and think about everything.
Do I regret discovering I’m bisexual? No.
I’m still not clear on what it’s going to mean to me and how redefining myself will impact my life, but now that I’ve had time to think it over, it fits like a perfectly worn-in boot.
That doesn’t mean my feet won’t hurt sometimes, but it’s not going to rub blisters.
Do I regret sex with Skye? Fuck, no. Not unless he does. If he wakes up this morning wishing we’d never done it, or if it makes things awkward between us… then yeah, I’d regret it. But only that it affected our friendship.
If Skye’s okay with it? If he wants what I do?
Then it was the best thing I ever did in my life.