Gage closed his eyes at the deep timbre of Scar’s voice as heat spread towards his groin.
“Yes, in our bed,” he whispered.
Scar hummed and kissed him one last time, slow and promising. “I’ll see you later.”
As he listened to Scar’s footsteps fade, he sat there in shock, turning the ring around on his finger in an attempt to stay grounded.
I’m getting married in three days.
White Ravens
Gage
The Olympic-size heated pool was one of the rare places in headquarters that was empty and quiet enough that Gage could mute his thoughts.
His nerves were so crazy they made him restless, and it was impossible to just lie in bed and wait for Scar to come to him.
So he swam.
He cut through the water in smooth, steady strokes, earbuds in, his favorite clean classic hits station filling the constant noise in his head.
Three days.
He pumped his arms harder, keeping his breathing measured, focusing on the count so he wouldn’t start spiraling.
What kind of tasks had Scar assigned, and to whom? Where would the wedding be? How would he perform on their wedding night? And worst of all, how his parents would never know their son didn’t break when life tried to life him.
They would never see what he’d become.
A strong fighter. A man who defended the weak and the oppressed, who stood in the gap between tyrants and the ones they preyed on.
He wondered if they’d be proud.
He finished a lap and pushed off the wall again, turning clean, letting the water slap his shoulders and drown hisunanswered questions, until something hit the surface behind him.
Not a sound…a feeling.
A ripple struck his ribs, the current stirring around him.
Gage stopped mid-stroke, treading water in the deep end. He pulled his earbuds out and let his surroundings speak.
Water lapped against the tiles, air shifted through the ventilation system, and the wall clock ticked away each second like a metronome.
But there, separate from everything else, the water swelled in his lane. Disturbed and cautious.
He waited for the person to speak, to announce themselves like a decent person would, but no one said anything.
“Who’s there?” he called out.
No answer.
He smiled, already assuming. Scar loved testing him, loved seeing what he would do.
“Is that my fiancé?”
Silence again.
Gage chuckled. “You trying to get me back from the haunted house? Save it. You’re not scaring me. I’m fearless.”
