I follow him down the hall as he pushes his way into a room, falling onto his knees. A small amount of liquid splashes into the bowl of the toilet. He recovers quickly as he sits up on his knees, wipes his lips, and rinses his mouth with water.
“Fuck,” I rasp. “Are you okay?”
I lower myself down to his level and reach for his jaw to comfort him. The second my fingers touch his bare skin, his head snaps to mine, and his eyes dilate to the colour of the midnight sky.
My entire body is on fire from one simple touch. He presses his hand to mine, eyes closing with pleasure and satisfaction. I almost do the same, but I can’t keep my gaze off him.
“It’s back,” he says gently.
“Yeah, pups. It’s back.”
His fingers brush mine before he opens his eyes, sending shivers down my spine. He reaches for my face before his brows furrow and twist my head to the side, grazing the shell of my ear.
“Caleb, you’re bleeding,” he gasps as he continues to touch me.
Electric sparks fly between us, so powerfully you can almost see them.
“I know. It’s okay. The pressure is too much sometimes.”
“I didn’t know you had to go through pain to do it,” he whispers.
I shrug. “It wasn’t that painful. I didn’t know it was going to affect you, too. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologise,” he says instantly. “It was worth it. Anything is worth it.”
He pulls our hands together and presses them against his thundering heart, warmth spreading through me. He closes his eyes again and smiles to himself.
“I was starting to forget what this felt like,” he says sadly. “But now, I don’t think I could ever forget.”
I loosen one of my hands and run it down the back of his head gently, over and over. The need to touch him, have him even closer, starts to make it itch. Like we need to make up for all that lost time.
“You are my getaway, my life, myeverything.I’d be nothing without you,” I rasp. “I’ve dreamed of this life since I can remember. Always fearful I’d never be able to experience it. But I’m not letting this go. You’re stuck with me.”
Evan sniffles softly. “I thought the Moon Goddess was punishing me, but now I know you are my biggest blessing. I know I saved myself, but you saved me, too.”
“We still need to complete the matebond,” I say as I admire his face.
“Yeah,” he says with a smile. “We need to mark each other.”
“But that doesn’t have to happen any time soon,” I reassure him. He only got out of the treatment centre today. I don’t want to rush him into anything he’s not ready for. “It’ll happen when you want it to. When you’re comfortable.”
He watches me as I kiss his knuckles tenderly. “Okay. Can you stay with me tonight?”
“You think you’re getting rid of me that easily?”
Evan flashes me a grin so bright that it’ll be etched into my memory for eternity. “Never.”
70
CALEB
It’s dark by the time Evan and I go upstairs to bed. His room still smells heavily of his scent, even though he’s not lived here for six weeks. I know I’ll have my face pressed up against his neck as we fall asleep, which brings me more joy than I can even comprehend. We brush our teeth together in the bathroom before stepping back into his bedroom.
“Sheets are clean,” Evan says. “Ava said they were changed this morning.”
I nod at him, but he doesn’t see. Instead, he tugs his flannel shirt off his shoulders before lifting his T-shirt up and over his head effortlessly. He kicks off his shoes, and I can’t help but watch.
My eyes gravitate to his shoulders, his arms, his chest. Goddess, I want to smother him with affection.
