“You’re not discreet, you know.”
“Guilty as charged,” he says. “You’re just adorable.”
“Quiet, you.” Another stroke to the cheek.
When he doesn’t reply with a quip, I turn my neck to see his gaze transfixed at the corner where the bathtub meets the wall.
“Stop it,” I say.
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
Scarlet blooms in my peripheries. I wasn’t there, but I didn’t need to be.
“Come here,” I say softly.
“But your face is covered with shaving cream.”
That didn’t stop him before.
“Fine, hold up.”
I finish and wipe my jaw clean. Atlas stares out into space, most likely reliving the horrific images he had to witness almost a year ago. I lace my fingers with him, rubbing his back with my free hand.
“Want to watch something?”
He sighs audibly.
“Star Wars?”
“Ezra will kill us if we watchAttack of the Cloneswithout him,” I deadpan.
“SoRevengeit is,” Atlas snickers.
The two of us, half-naked, take to the futon together. I retrieve a blanket and plop it over our legs. We snuggle into one another.
“So,” Atlas says, “when did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Come on, Co. When did you know you liked me?”
“Buy me dinner first,” I scoff.
“I’m serious. I want to know!”
“It’s embarrassing, but . . . I thought you were attractive from the beginning. And then, well, you were very persistent in hanging out with me, so here we are.”
“I got you beat. I loved you since the moment I laid my eyes on you,” he says and giggles.
“Oh, whatever!” I say and twist his nipple.
Atlas yips. Thinking the same exact thing, he and I dart our gaze to the open bedroom door, shushing ourselves with tiny giggles. Ezra’s conked out under the sheets, seemingly unperturbed by the sudden disruption. Atlas and I laugh.
“Love, huh?” I ask, remembering his subtle mention of the word.
“Well, yeah . . . I . . . love you. And Ezra, of course,” he says coyly.
“Of course. We’re a packaged deal, he and I.”
