“You kissing someone else’s boyfriendiscrossing the boundaries ofbothpeople in that relationship, Brek. Do you not understand that?”
“I understand that you believe that.”
He laughs under his breath. “Tell me something. Let’s pretend that you were Loren. Oakley is your boyfriend. Now imagine I decided that I—even knowing Oakley is in a committed relationship with you—am going to kiss him. Are you going totell me you wouldn’t be angry walking in on me kissing your boyfriend? You wouldn’t believe that I crossed a very bright line?”
“But I?—”
“No,” Voss interrupts. “Anything you say is an excuse for your behavior when we all know you were in the wrong.”
I scowl at him. Part of me wants to pull my hand from his. Even though that’s childish.
“You’re only refusing to agree because it’s Loren,” Voss says.
I don’t bother to comment, since anything other than agreeing with that would be a lie. I didn’t trust him. I’m not sure I trust him now.
“Look,” Voss says, and I expect him to have another scenario to explain to me. But he’s gesturing to the stakes in the ground. “This is the playground.”
I look at the stakes, wondering how he knows that. Did he memorize what all the colors mean and what sections they’re framing?
His fingers grip my chin, and he pulls my face to his. “How about we claim the title of the first kiss on the playground, Brek?”
My air whooshes from my lungs in the second before his mouth lands on mine.
3
VOSS
“You okay?”I ask.
Lorissa glares at the sky. “Why are pregnant people so fucking hot all the time?” she mutters.
“Do you want the scientific answer?”
Her glare turns on me, and I smile. No, she doesn’t. I offer her the umbrella in my hand. I also brought one of those handheld spray bottles with a fan. It may mess up her makeup, so I’m a little curious which will win out—appearance or battling the sun.
“Why are they doing this outside in July?” she grumbles.
“They’re not pregnant and sweaty,” I point out.
Lorissa slaps my arm. “I can’t wait until this small human is out of my body,” she grumbles and stomps away.
She’s not actually stomping. Her footsteps are just heavier now. She’s a cute fucking pregnant woman. I love her belly.
There’s a chance I love it because she’s carrying my son, but whatever.
Myro joins me. He watches Lorissa with me as she makes her way into the shade. “She uncomfortable?”
“Very. I think she’s going to declare war on the sun.”
He laughs. Then he inclines his head, and I follow what he’s calling my attention to. Dad. He’s holding Emerson as he talks to Uncle Arath.
“I haven’t seen Jeannette lately,” Myro says. “Have you?”
I shake my head. “Not since before Dad’s birthday.”
“You think we made our point?” he asks.
“I think more than anything,thishas made our point.” I seek out the two-thirds triplets, unsurprised to find them with Imry. “Asking him if he truly thinks marrying someone who’s going to view Avory and Ellory in the same light Mom did might have hit home more than anything else we could have said.”
