Jodi hummed. “I like you boring. But I don’t believe you didn’t have a shit day. You’ve got a face on.”
“When do I not wear my face?”
Jodi frowned, taking a moment to unpick Rupert’s words. Then he scowled, though it lacked the punch of his fiery temper. “You look like something upset you. What happened?”
Hiding things from Jodi was as impossible as it had ever been. A TBI hadn’t taken his ability to read Rupert like an open book and call him on his BS. At least, not for long.
Don’t think about those dark days.
Rupert didn’t need to tell himself twice. “I pulled a couple of kids out of a car wreck on a call on the way home from the city. One of them reminded me of Indie.”
Jodi mulled the words over.
“They survived,” Rupert added before Jodi’s brain filled with horrific images he didn’t deserve. “Just rattled me a bit.”
“Is it rattling you now?”
“Nope. You’re all I need to feel better. How was your day?”
Jodi rolled off Rupert and stretched out on the couch, dumping his head in Rupert’s lap. “Interesting. You knew I used to sleep with Cass and Tom, right?”
Rupert nodded, swallowing a grin. He’d never shied away from learning every notch on Jodi’s bedpost. Every man and woman he’d ever been with had brought him one step closer to Rupert. What could be bad about that? “You told me about it before the accident, not long after we met. And then after, they heard about it and Tom came to find me. They’re nice people.”
“I didn’t see Tom today.”
“I know.”
“I don’t really remember him.”
“I know that too. He told me you were closer to Cass. Andyoutold me, once upon a time, that’s why you stopped hooking up. Back then, they weren’t looking for a third and you were self-aware enough to realise that would hurt if you got in any deeper.”
“They have a third now.”
“Jake.”
“I didn’t see him either.”
“Did you want to?”
Jodi shook his head. “It was Cass I needed to see. I dream about him sometimes...not dirty dreams, just...you know, life dreams. Like my brain knows he was important.”
“He’s still important. And I’ve seen him, boyo. Wouldn’t blame you if you were having dirty dreams about him.”
Jodi laughed, for once enjoying the déjà vu that swept over him. “You’ve seen yourself, right? Cass is fit as fuck, but you’re all the man I need.”
“Need for what?” Rupert leaned down and captured Jodi’s lips in a sweet kiss that held just the right edge of heat. “Are you using me for my body again?”
“Lovingyou for your body. It’s the vessel for the rest of you.” Jodi touched Rupert’s temple, and then his chest. “I need you, Rupe. I love you as much as Cass has ever loved Tom. As much as he loves Jake. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Promise me?”
Rupert found Jodi’s hands, capturing both in one of his own. “I promise. You showed me who you were a hundred years ago and you’ve never, ever lied to me.”
A hundred years ago. The playful code they used to talk aboutbefore, when neither one of them actually wanted to. Sometimes it was easier to pretend they’d been alive forever and they would live just as long. That what they had now...they’d never lose it.
I can’t lose him.
