He’s home.
“Fuck, Collins, baby,” Riley cries, his shoulders shaking as he buries his face in my neck. “Creed?—”
I cling to him, fusing myself to his body by gripping the back of his shirt with one hand while burying my fingers into the longer hairs at the crown of his head. I refuse to let him go. I know Creed has missed Riley just as much as I have, and he wastes no time in showing it as he joins us. His arms snake around my waist and Riley’s back, then presses his lips to the side of Riley’s head, the three of us fitting together perfectly as we cling to one another and just soak up the feeling of beingwholeagain.
“Fuck, we’ve missed you so goddamn much, Ri,” Creed nearly chokes, his voice giving away every raw, untouched emotion that he kept so perfectly contained until this very moment.
“I’ve missed you, too,” Riley whispers back, sniffling as more tears trickle down and onto my skin. “Fuck,” he struggles to speak, his hands shaking when he tries to squeeze my hip. “I need?—”
I turn my face to the side and gently press my lips to his, hoping I read his thoughts correctly by kissing him. The warmth of his mouth and the softness of his lips gives me everything thatthe other half of my soul has yearned for while he was gone. I’ve needed him just as desperately as I need Creed.
Riley’s already so flushed by the time we part that when he looks at Creed, his freckles damn near disappear as his blush deepens the moment they lock eyes. Always knowing us better than we know ourselves, Creed leans in and whispers something in his ear that I can’t quite hear, but I can guess the context by the way Riley swallows thickly before Creed leans in. Riley meets him half way for a soft, short, and sweet kiss.
It may be something innocent and new between the two of them, but my core clenches hard at the sight of their open intimacy.
A whistle cuts through the air behind us, and we slowly break apart but still cling to one another, seeing Wilder standing at the entrance with his dark skin glowing in the morning sun. His grin widens as he stands there, his thick arms crossed, and the fabric of his scrubs pulled taut over the wide expanse of his chest. Uncrossing his arms, he cups his hands around his mouth.
“The sooner we go over discharge paperwork and therapy schedules, the faster you can actually leave, big man.”
Riley just laughs and shakes his head. “I’m coming!” He calls as the three of us break to form a huddled line.
Walking back towards where Wilder awaits, I loop my arm though Riley’s and lay my head on his shoulder while Creed drapes his arm lazily around his neck.
I breathe in deeply, loving that my senses are once again flooded with all things Riley. Something heavy is lifted from my chest, and I feel like I can take a proper breath for the first time in an eternity. I know we’ve got a ways to go, but as long as I have the two of them by my side, it’s all the encouragement that I need to push through.
After goingover paperwork and establishing a physical therapy schedule where Wilder will come down every few weeks to work one-on-one with him, we’re finally back in the car, headed home.
Creed sits alone in the front, understanding that I refuse to be separated from Riley right now. So here the two of us sit, smooshed together as close as possible in the center seats. My nose is buried in Riley’s neck and his cheek is pressed to my temple. I purposely chose to sit on his uninjured side, since he still keeps his ear wrapped. It’s been weeks, and I’m sure the bandage can come off, but he hasn’t removed it. If it brings him security, so be it.
My fingers are laced with his as he quietly watches me play connect-the-dots with each freckle adorning the back of his hand and up his forearm. My stomach twists as I take in the pink, indented scars that circle his wrists, but I push the unwelcome emotion away and focus onhim.
“You hungry?” I ask when I hear his stomach growl.
He chuckles and releases a breath. “Starving. That place had shit for food.”
“What are you in the mood for?” I look up at him, and he groans, closing his eyes.
“Something hot and greasy. Wilder fed me fuckin’ organic rabbit food-type shit while I was in there; I’m ready for a loaded bacon cheeseburger and some fries.”
“Milkshake, too?”
He grins at that. “Is there any other option when it comes to comfort food?”
Creed’s already three steps ahead of us because just then, he rolls his window down and we’re greeted by a muffled voicethrough the drive-thru speaker the moment the SUV comes to a stop. He fires off all of our orders, knowing exactly what we all want to eat and pulls around.
While Creed tries to calm the squealing fangirl at the drive-thru window, I look at Riley. He’s never been one to crave the recognition that comes with his inevitable fame, and he looks just as content to be hidden by the blackout windows in the backseat. His expression shifts, falling a little when he glances down at his clenched fists in his lap. They’re trembling, only stopping when he relaxes the muscles.
My heart aches for him, and I smooth my hand on top of his, lacing our fingers, now holding both of his hands in mine.
“I can’t wait to get home. I’ve missed it so much,” he says quietly, his thumbs stroking the skin on the back of my hands.
“Yeah?” I murmur, his gentle touch nearly lulling me to sleep.
“Of course, Snow.” He kisses my temple, and I soak up the warm feeling that floods my body and settles low in my core. His lips brush against me as he whispers into my skin, “What is home without you?”
“Order up, lovey-dovies,” Creed singsongs from the front seat, blindly handing the food bag back to us. We take it, immediately digging in. I try—I really do—to ignore the way my body reacts when he moans around the first bite of greasy cheeseburger, but my chest is heaving, and my thighs are clenching. I hide behind a mouthful of french fries, trying to pretend like I’m not ogling Riley just moments after picking him up from a therapy facility.
Calm your tits, Collins.
