It took me a few minutes to jumpstart my brain, but it was nice because Rowen held me and kissed me through coming down.
“What about you?” I nuzzled my nose against his beard.
“Behave yerself and take a wee nap. Ye had a long day,” he said, then kissed each of my eyelids, forcing me to close them.
“Don’t wanna sleep here.” I pouted, but I couldn’t stop it from happening.
Rowen hummed. “Up ye get, then.” He sat up and helped me over to the edge of the bed. I felt groggy, but he tucked me away before zipping my jeans. It felt good to be taken care of as he used his strength to put me on my feet, mostly because I was feeling lazy. It feltreally goddamned goodto have his arm around me as he escorted me to his room. Rowen stripped me and put me in his bed like I was someone important to him.
And Ilovedbeing the center of his attention.
11
ROWEN
Fallon on a hospitalbed was a sight I could’ve lived my whole life without seeing again.
The guilt was a festering wound that grew deeper with every passing second I stared at Fallon. I’d had one job from Aspen.One. And I’d failed.
I should’ve known better than to let my tater tot get that ring. I’d thought it was too small, but I’d given in to the pout and big blue eyes, and this was the result. If only I’d listen to—
“Stop it.” Vail’s hand landed on my shoulder, and he came in from my left, snuggling against my side and interrupting my thoughts. I’d been standing beside the bed, staring down at Fallon, and hadn’t realized Vail had come into the room. “Stop blaming yourself.”
“I’m not, angel.”
“Don’t lie.” He gave me a look of disbelief with pursed lips. “You always think you’re so different from Cillian, but you’re just as bad as he can be when it comes to blaming yourself. I might be oblivious to a lot of things, Rowen, but I know you. One thing everyone in this house is great at forgetting is that I’m the oldest person who lives here. I’ve had more time to hear and see things than you.”
Ididforget. Vail was in his own head for so many hours of the day and that, combined with his tendency to be sweet and even silly, made it easy for me to think of him as younger. There were times when he was almost childlike with his need for reassurance, but then I’d learned since being with him that it was part of his ADHD and the anxiety that came with it. He was so soft spoken, most treated him like someone in need of direction, which he absolutely detested.
Vail moved to stand in front of me and cupped my face. He smiled, and the war waging inside me slowly diminished under his calming touch. He was beautiful, with full lips that made everything better and kind brown eyes that drew me in the same as a moth to a flame.
“No one can stop Fallon from doing what he wants to do. You were the one to remind me of that fact,” he whispered, then dropped a soft kiss on my lips. “And like you said at the hospital, he’sfine.”
“Aye, he’s fine, but it shouldn’t’ve happened. I had one fecking job, and I didn’t do it, did I?”
“You did. You protected him. You took him to the hospital. You stayed with him. You made sure the firefighters knew what they were doing. You kept him calm. You took control of the situation in a very admirable way. Cillian and Aspen would’ve let Fallon buy the ring, too. They can’t say no to him.” Vail chuckled. “He’s too adorable to deny.”
I laughed quietly because it was true. I didn’t know how I’d ignored Fallon for so long.
Vail tilted his head and his mouth quirked to the side. “Don’t beat yourself up about this. I make interesting choices all the time that send me to the ER.” He gestured at Fallon sleeping peacefully on the wide bed that usually fit five of us, but he was spread out contently in only his boxers. “Soon he’ll be laughing about it. We all will be. Our job is to support him until he can get to that point.”
I snorted. “He’ll be commenting on how sexy the firefighters were.”
“Well, theywerepretty hot. Did you see Brick?” Vail’s eyes went round.
“Fallon’s already talked about him,” I grumbled. Jealous as I was, they weren’t wrong. He was all muscle topped by a handsome face.
Vail leaned up on tiptoe to lay a kiss on my mouth. “Don’t worry, we don’t need him. We’re happy with you and Cillian and Aspen.” His tone was teasing, but I wasn’t ready for that yet.
“Good, because I’m sinning enough for the boss without adding an innocent firefighter to my kill count out of jealousy.”
“Aw, you’re jealous?” Vail popped his lips at me in a pout.
“Of course I bloody am. I love ye and ye’re mine. I guess Fallon is as well.” I peeked at him from the corner of my eye when he made a small sound and rolled onto his side. He slapped the mattress, as though searching for one of us to hug, and I regretted I wasn’t there in the bed beside him already, comforting him when he needed it most. But I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. Vail was right—I was acting like Cillian, but how could I not? Fallon needed my protection as much as Vail did, only in different ways.
I dropped my head and groaned. My heart ached at the thought of how much worse this could’ve been.
Vail gave me a hug, and I accepted the warmth of his body easily, falling into the comfort of his familiarity. He always knew what to do to make me feel better, though I needed more than this.
