She really is ours.
“You think that matters to us?” Jace asks quietly, his protective instincts clearly warring with something darker.
“Doesn’t it?” She’s looking between our faces now, and whatever she sees there makes her shrink back. “See! It’s weird!”
“It’s not weird,” Cal says immediately, but his voice is rougher than usual.
“Oh yeah? Tell that to each of your faces,” she shoots back, gesturing at us. “You all look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“It’s a lot to live up to, is all,” Cal says carefully.
“Live up to what?”
Cal’s mouth curves in that wicked grin, but there’s something softer underneath. “The unrealistic expectations of all the ‘Bobs’ you’ve had to test-pitch marketing campaigns to.”
She covers her face with her hands and groans. “Oh my God.”
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Cal says, and there’s pride and possession in his voice.
She starts to slide toward the edge of the booth, clearly trying to escape, but Jace’s hand shoots out to catch her wrist.
“Don’t run,” he says quietly. “Not from this.”
“But what if I’m bad at it? What if I can’t?—”
“Then we teach you,” I say simply, the possessiveness in my voice unmistakable now. “We have nothing but time and patience and the rest of our lives to show you exactly how good you can be.”
Her hands finally slide down from her face like she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop or something.
She stares at us for a long moment, something shifting in her expression. Then her gaze moves to me.
“What about you?” she asks, voice soft but demanding.
“What about me?” I deflect, reaching for my water. “It was hot.”
“Silas.” There’s steel in her voice now, the same tone she used to use when we were kids and she wasn’t buying our bullshit.
For fuck’s sake. I set down the glass and meet her eyes, knowing she’s not going to let this go.
“I didn’t want it to end,” I say finally, the words coming out rough. “Even if all I was allowed to do was touch you. Just having you that close...” I pause, run a hand through my hair. “I fantasized about coming home after a job, needing to hold you. To ground myself again. You’re the only thing that keeps me tethered when I have to go dark. Always have been, always will be.”
The confession hangs heavy between us. Parker’s eyes widen, understanding exactly what kind of work I’m talking about, what kind of darkness I carry.
“Silas,” she breathes.
“You asked,” I say simply.
The curtain suddenly pulls back, and Charles appears with Sienna tucked under his arm, both flushed and grinning from dancing.
“There you are!” Charles’s voice booms. “Parker, you were incredible up there—” He stops, taking in the scene. Parker on the table between us, tears in her eyes, the tension thick enough to cut. “Everything okay?”
Cal smoothly leans back, reaching for his water. I let my hand fall from where it was resting near her knee. Jace shifts into that controlled military stance, emotions locked down tight.
“Just decompressing,” Cal says easily, flashing that charming smile. “Hell of a performance.”
But Charles isn’t buying it. His eyes narrow, moving between us and his sister. “Parker? You look upset.”
She slides off the table, smoothing her dress with hands that still tremble slightly. “I’m fine. Just overwhelmed by all the attention.”
