“It won’t be for a while,” they assured. “You’re welcome to stay, but I’ll warn you, it’s always chaos.”
“I’ll think about it.”
The idea of intruding didn’t sit right with me, especially since I already felt guilty about being such a chicken that I needed to ask a big, strong alpha to come get me in the first place.
But… I kind of wanted to see what it was like, too.
I stood for a moment, grinning at each other like a couple of nervous kids at a school dance.
Indi broke first, clearing their throat. "Should we pick a movie?"
“Oh—yeah! Totally!” I said, feeling a little silly as I came to sit with them on the couch.
We were friends before all this… stuff. So there wasn’t any reason for me to be nervous, but still…
I was a little surprised when my thigh pressed against theirs and they didn't move away.
With a few clicks, they had a streaming service pulled up and we were scrolling through options, movie posters flying by with every press of the button.
"What about that one?" I said, my hand landing on Indigo’s forearm to stop them clicking. "Tara told me it was really good."
“Uh, yeah… Sure.”
They selected my choice, a horror movie about alpha vampires with a mostly Black cast, and music blasted from the surround sound, feeling like it was coming from everywhere.
"Thank you, by the way," I said, settling in to watch.
"For what?"
"Coming to get me," I said, finding it difficult to look at them.
I wasn’t entirely sure why. If they were watching the movie, great. Wasn’t that the point? And, if they were looking at me…
My finger traced along the seam of the couch, and I watched its progression.
"I’d come whenever you call, Eva,” Indigo said softly. “Anytime.”
The sincerity in their voice gave me the courage to look at them, finding the alpha’s eyes already trained on me.
I swallowed hard, familiar warmth fluttering in my belly. "Why?"
They smiled, reaching to pull me closer until I was pressed against the alpha’s side.
A hand stroked through my hair, toying with the end of my candy-floss pigtail. "Because I care about you,obviously. Even if I’m a little stupid. Bad at showing it…”
As I looked into the alpha’s eyes, there was this sort of gravitational pull from them, drawing me closer. My nose brushed theirs, and I licked my lips, barely daring to breathe.
Hadn’t I been here before? Pulled into Indigo’s orbit only to be pushed away at the last minute.
But it didn’t matter, not really. A part of me knew that no matter how many times it ended in disaster, I’d find myself here again.
Wanting.
“I care about you, too,” I whispered, my hand resting against their chest to feel their racing heartbeat.
I wasn't sure who actually bridged the gap, but our lips pressed together, and I melted into the kiss.
This was nothing like the barcade bathroom. Where the last time I’d kissed Indigo it’d been desperate and full of longing, this was soft. Careful. Like we were both worried about scaring the other off.
