Another kiss lands on my shoulder from behind at the same time I’m met with more kisses all over my face, and I release a shaky breath, the tension held tight in my shoulders finally ebbing.
“That’s it, Stardust.Come back, baby,” Creed’s gentle voice coos from behind me.
Behind me.
If Creed is behind me, then?—
The last of my episode dissipates, the cemetery disappears as our room comes into clarity. When the face in front of me becomes clear, I sob again, but this time, I’ve never felt more relief than I do at this very moment.
Riley’s beautiful face is illuminated before me by the early morning sun, his freckled skin and auburn hair basking in a warm glow that makes him look absolutely ethereal. The deep brown of his mocha eyes captivates me, and a sweet air of unfettered gratitude envelopes me.
He’s alive. He’s here.
My fingers move to his hair of their own accord and grip the longer locks in a firm hold as I beam up at him with a watery smile.
If this is a dream, please don’t let me wake.
As if sensing my thoughts, he leans in and kisses my lips once more before pushing me to my back and maneuvering himself to lay between my legs, his arms now folded beneath his chin that rests on my belly.
With his weight grounding me, I feel a bit more at ease, and a little more of that fear and anxiety melts away. My hands automatically find his hair again, playing with the loose curls at his crown.
It takes me a moment, but I finally remember what it was that had triggered me. It was the memory of those fucking confetti cannons that went off at the first concert three monthsago. They hadn’t scared me, but the way they petrified Riley had. They sounded so much like a gunshot to him that he froze up. The locking of his body constricted blood flow and he nearly fainted on stage. Luckily, Creed was able to walk him off like it was nothing more than overexcitement from being back on stage.
Fletcher was just as pissed off as Creed. I have to admit, it was nice to see that they had a manager that fought for them just as much as we fought for ourselves. Crew members were fired, and we haven’t had confetti cannons ever since.
Creed rolls, shifting down and sideways so that his head rests on Riley’s back. Both of their eyes are on me, and even though they each carry their own level of concern, love mixes with relief in the way they look at me. I have to say, the feeling is mutual.
Though I’m slowly coming back to reality, I still feel adrift. Knowing what we all need, Creed starts the mantra that has kept each of us grounded sincethat day.
“See us,”he says, strength oozing from the two words while covering my hands that are in Riley’s hair with his.
“Feel us,”Riley whispers, his dark eyes sparkling in the morning light. He smiles so sweetly, those fae prince canines barely peeking through his grin.
“We. Are. Real,”I finish, my voice rasping out each word.
I look at the men who crowd me, and my belly erupts in a kaleidoscope of butterflies. A single tear full of nothing but stark relief falls down my cheek, but Riley catches it before it falls from my face. Before he can do anything about it, Creed snatches his wrist, lifts Riley’s hand to his mouth, and pops the digit between his lips, effectively licking the tear from Riley’s finger.
They’re here. And they’re mine.
I return their easy smiles with one of my own as I push to sit up, each of them following to mirror my seated position. I palmthe backs of their necks and look from Riley to Creed, reveling in the fact that this touch—this moment—is real.
I pull Creed in first and press my lips to his. I try for soft and chaste, but of course he doesn’t comply. He tries to attack my mouth with a lusty savagery that threatens to consume me. I laugh against his lips and manage to pull back and turn my attention to Riley.
Ever my good boy, waiting patiently, he sits and quietly observes the interaction between me and Creed. Though, I don’t miss the yearning in his eyes when they drop to my lips. It’s a silent request. He wants his turn but would never ask for it—as if I could ever deny him or keep him waiting.
I pull him closer and press my forehead to his for the length of a heartbeat. “Show me,” I whisper against his lips. He knows exactly what I mean and what I need before he closes the minuscule gap between us and kisses me. His hands tangle in my hair, and he claims my mouth as if it’s the last kiss he’ll ever give.
An impossibility.
I’m breathless when he breaks the kiss, but I don’t get a chance to catch my breath before Creed’s hands join Riley’s in my hair, and he pulls us in for a group kiss. The kind of kiss we first shared in the hotel room from what seems like a lifetime ago. Thethrouple kisswe share is something that’s become not only routine for us, but a life necessity. We need that unified contact as a reminder that we’re all here. That we all survived the worst. That we all fell in love.
I pull back and watch as Creed takes over and peppers Riley’s face with the sweetest, messiest kisses, making Riley’s cheeks bloom with a fierce blush. My face hurts from smiling while I watch as Riley kisses him back just as eagerly. And with that, something in my heart settles.
They belong to me. They belong to each other. I belong to them. Creed St. James and Riley Benjamin Graves own everypiece of my heart and soul. My love for them knows no bounds and only grows with each passing day. After everything we’ve been through, I am never letting these two go.
“You hungry, Snow?” Riley asks as they settle back against me. I drag my fingers through both his and Creed’s hair. “I could make some chocolate chip pancakes.”
“Starving,” I mutter under my breath, my heart rate kicking up. Creed looks at me as he probably heard its shift in rhythm. I let a slow smile creep across my lips. “But not for pancakes.”
