“Mm-hmm.” She taps her knuckles lightly against my chest. “And don’t think I won’t do the same to you if you ever pull something like that.”
“I—” I start, and the rest of the sentence dies because there’s no sensible follow-up to that.
She watches me, amused and entirely unbothered. “Relax,” she says, stepping back with that easy, dangerous confidence she wears like a sweater. “I’m going to shower and get into pajamas before our movie night.”
She moves toward the bathroom but pauses in the doorway, glancing back over her shoulder. Her voice softens, but there’s still that spark. “Oh—and when I get back? I expect lots of cuddles.”
Instinct does something ridiculous and immediate; my hands go to my lap before I even think about it. Of course, she sees it, and of course, she grins.
“Yeah,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “You’ll get your cuddles.”
She disappears into the bathroom, the door clicking shut, and the rig suddenly too quiet.
The second she’s gone, I get to work getting everything set up for our impromptu date.
When she finally steps out, her cheeks are pink from the heat, and she’s drying her hair with a towel. She blinks at me like she’s surprised to see me sitting on the edge of her bed.
“What are you doing?” she asks softly.
“Sit,” I tell her, patting the spot in front of me. “I’ll brush your hair.”
Her lips part, just slightly, but she doesn’t argue. She crosses the room slowly and sits with her back to me, tucking her legs beneath her.
The second I drag the brush through her damp hair, she lets out a quiet sigh, her shoulders slumping.
“Good?” I murmur.
She nods, too relaxed to speak, her head tilting forward just enough for me to keep going.
“Let me take care of you, Wildflower,” I whisper, almost to myself.
26
Celeste
Icannotsit still.
Linkin’s toy hauler smells like stale coffee and cold pizza. It’s a comforting stink that says everyone’s been up too late and nobody’s bothered to clean. Much better than my brand new rig, where everything smells so brand new. Shiloh’s feet are propped on the couch, Korbyn’s toes resting over hers as they scroll in easy silence, the blue light from their phones painting their faces. Together they look like opposites pulled into the same frame—Shiloh, sharp and striking, straight out of a goth editorial, and Korbyn, all soft edges and earnest calm, like a middle school librarian who knows exactly where everything is shelved. The rig hums with the easy, tired noise of people who’ve done this a hundred times.
My skin, though, is a live wire. It’s not just restless, it feels like a constant vibration under my ribs. If I don’t move, I feel likeI’ll split open and spill out. The air feels too small for whatever’s coiled inside me.
“I need to go on a run,” I blurt, louder than I mean to be.
Three heads turn, and their eyes find mine.
“Run?” Shiloh echoes, one brow arching like she’s trying to place the joke.
“Yeah.” I push off the counter where I’ve been leaning, fingers leaving a faint smear of sweat on the laminate. “Just a quick one. There’s a park a few blocks over. I saw it when we came in last night. I just need to clear my head.”
Korbyn’s frown deepens. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Lucian is still in his meeting with Rowan.”
“It’ll be fine, I’ve done this more times than I can count.” The words come out before I can talk myself out of them. I’m already moving toward the door, the motion a promise to myself. “You guys know I need to run when I feel like this. I just need some time alone. I just need this, okay?”
Linkin squints at me, the light catching the lines at the corners of his eyes. “They should be done with their meeting soon. Can you wait for them to be done? I’m pretty sure Lucian would rather chew glass than let you out of his sight right now.”
I glance over my shoulder and lower my voice. “They have like an hour left? So… maybe don’t mention it until I’m back, alright?”
“Celeste—” Shiloh starts, the warning already forming, but I cut her off with a signature smile.
