With that not-so-helpful advice, I ended the call. Not a moment later, Emery came out, taking a seat on my lap, leaning his side fully into my chest and torso. Almost instantly, a contented sigh escaped from both of us.
“Hey you.”
Emery simply hummed, relaxing against me.
I was glad the past few days had settled all of us. Well, until today. Emery seemed less agitated. The fear of his parents and even Steven didn’t appear to be hanging over his head as much.
As the time slowly passed, Emery was coming a bit more out of his shell. Not a whole lot, mind you, but some.
Every little bit counted.
I knew it’d take time to get him to fully open up to what he wanted and needed, but we’d take it one day at a time. By the hour, even, if need be.
“Do you happen to know why Enzo’s trying to destroy my kitchen in there?” Maybe Emery would know.
“Not a clue.” His breath ghosted against my cheek as he lifted his head to look at me. “But he’s annoying right now.”
A small chuckle came out, causing Emery to shift against me. “Well, if you figure it out, let me know.”
Emery
Ryker’s brown eyes had flecks of green. Being this close to him, I could see every perfect imperfection. The gray hairs on his thin beard that he always kept short. The silver lines that streaked through the strands of his hair on his head.
I never would have thought I’d feel butterflies in my stomach. I never thought I’d get to have a crush.
My life may have been taken from me without my consent, and I may never be able to get back the chance to be a teenager or live like I should have…but what I did have was a man who gave me feelings I wasn’t sure what to do with. It was different, yet the same, as I had with Enzo.
Just, with Enzo, I never felt nervous. I just…knew. Sure, our tragic beginnings helped us lean on each other. That quickly turned into us loving one another, because we were all the other had.
We were together, until death took us apart.
Or so I’d thought.
How could he think I would be better off without him?
Now, I knew my life was forever entwined with his. And with Ryker’s.
“What?” Ryker’s voice was quiet, soothing even, if he was confused about why I was looking at him so contently.
“I…I like you.”
A palm cupped my cheek, causing my eyes to flutter shut at the small, simple touch.
I’d never get tired of having this type of contact. Full of care. Full of love.
“I like you too, sugar.”
A smile graced my lips before I pried my eyes open.
Ryker hadn’t moved. He wasn’t appalled because of who I was, or what I’d been used for. So far, he never looked at me like so many other men had. Ryker didn’t ever treat me as though I were beneath him, a thing to be used and abused.
To Ryker, I was human. Broken, but an equal.
Swallowing, I gathered all the courage I could from within. In the next breath, before I chickened out, I pressed the lightest kiss to the corner of Ryker’s lips.
Ryker froze, not even breathing, for what felt like a full minute. Then, and only when I pulled back, did he finally take a deep breath.
With his hand still on my cheek, his thumb swiping along my lips, he spoke.
