“I heard you poking around down here, but I’ve been up for a few hours,” he admits. “I don’t sleep well without you. And my side is killing me this morning.”
He reaches past me and removes a glass from the cupboard, his attention lingering on me as he fills it from the sink and pops a few pills into his mouth.
A niggle of guilt percolates in my belly. I don’t have anything to apologize for, but I also want to be sensitive to the delicacy of our new dynamic, so I lean into my instincts. “I was out of it last night,” I admit. “By the time I went to the bathroom, washed up, and was ready for bed, Noah was coming in, saying you were sleeping upstairs.”
“I was exhausted last night, too,” he tells me. “I slept in one of the guest rooms. It was pretty comfortable, honestly. I’m glad you got some rest, mon ange. Did you sleep with Mercer?”
The question comes out even. There isn’t a hint of malice or contention there. So I answer in the same way: honestly and steadily.
“Yes. Noah tucked us in.” I stifle a laugh at the memory. “It was a good thing. Mercer and I needed a chance to connect where the stakes felt lower.”
He weaves one hand through my hair. “Good.” Angling in, he kisses me on the forehead. As he steps back, he peers out the window over the kitchen sink.
“It looks like the snow’s finally stopped.”
I step back and lean against the counter, studying him. “For now. I checked the radar an hour ago. It’s supposed to start up again this afternoon.” I crack my knuckles one hand at a time, steeling myself to dive into this topic.
“Do you need to be on campus at a certain time today?”
Brows scrunched, he shakes his head. “Merce confirmed that everything is closed. No class and no practice. Not that I was doing anything at practice besides warming the bench anyway.”
I can’t hide my grin. “‘Merce,’ huh?”
His eyes widen, then he slams them shut with a groan and scrubs one hand down his face. “It just slipped out. Clearly, we’ve been here too long.” His lips twitch and that joy still radiates from him. “That said, I don’t have any reason to race back to campus. I’m okay staying here a while longer—if that’s what you want, too.”
It’s the “too” that sends butterflies fluttering, filling me with a light, floaty, effervescent hope. Ty’s not just trying or tolerating. He wants to be here, whether he consciously recognizes that or not. He’s letting the other guys in. He’s galvanizing my hopes and dreams in beautiful, unexpected ways.
He wanders to the fridge and pulls out a container of cinnamon-brown sugar sweetener, then pours a cup of coffee and adds enough creamer to make the contents of the mug take on the color of sand.
Instead of bringing the cup to me like I assumed, he lifts it to his own mouth and takes a long sip.
When he lowers it and meets my eyes, he gives me a puzzled frown. “What?”
I scoff. “Are you serious right now? Since when do you drink coffee with flavored creamer?”
He scowls at the mug he’s cradling, though his expression turns bashful when he looks back at me. “Since Noah brought some to my dorm last week. A few of the flavors are way too damn sweet, but this brown sugar one is great.”
I press my lips together, glee bubbling up inside me. “Noah brought you coffee?”
Ty pulls a face, then runs a hand through his messy bedhead. “Among other things.”
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I gingerly hug his torso, then plant my chin on his chest. “The brown sugar flavor is one of my favorites, too.”
A hint of a smile teases his lips. “Oh yeah?”
“Mm-hmm. Give me a taste.”
Instead of sharing his coffee, he kisses me softly. I hum against him, relishing the soft sweetness of his mouth. Before long, he pulls back and lifts the mug to my lips.
After I’ve taken my own sip, I rest my head on his chest, taking care not to apply too much pressure.
“I want more of this, mon ange,” he murmurs, weaving his free hand through my hair and cradling my head.
“More coffee?” I tease.
He chuckles. “More mornings together. Us in the kitchen. All four of us together…”
My heart nearly stops and emotion clogs my throat. I want more of this, too.
