“Why?”
More laughter. “Are you always so abrupt first thing in the morning?”
I shrugged, then rolled my eyes because he couldn’t exactly see me. “I’m not used to talking on a phone. I much prefer looking at people when I talk to them.”
“Well, you could FaceTime me. Granted, I’m probably not looking my best right now, but we can do that if you’d feel more comfortable?”
FaceTime?
“Give it to me.” Axel walked over and plucked the phone out of my hand.
“Were you listening?”
He ignored me, putting the phone to his ear instead. “Hey, Nick. Give him two seconds and he’ll video call you.”
Oh.
He hung up and I held out my hand for my phone. “I know what that is. Why didn’t he just call it that?”
Axel laughed but gave me my phone back. “Better make it quick. Gabriel’s on his way.”
He left me to it, and this time I waited until he’d gone inside before calling Nick back. He answered immediately, his face filling my phone screen. From his stubble-covered jaw to his tousled bed-hair and sleepy brown eyes, he was the hottest thing I’d ever seen. Obviously still in bed, he had his head on the pillow, lying on his side. I wanted to be in that bed with him.
“Hey.” He smiled and my breath caught. “This is much better.”
“It is.” Something settled inside me, and I was forced to acknowledge that Nick was the reason. But now was not the time to think about why that was.
“Shouldn’t you be on your way to theother side?”
I snorted. “I’m going back home, not to some alternate reality.”
He scrunched up his nose. “Well, it kind of is, if you think about it.”
“It is not. But I don’t have time to debate that with you this morning. Gabriel is apparently on his way.”
Nick sat up a bit and the sheets slid lower down his torso, gifting me a glorious view of his chest. Dark hair dusted his pecs, and I vividly remembered the feel of it under my fingers. A groan slipped out, and Nick laughed.
“Oh. Is itthatkind of call?” His eyes darkened, the weight of his stare effective, even through a phone screen.
I swallowed, wanting more than anything to reach out and touch him. Cup his jaw and tug him close enough to kiss. “I think Axel might kill me if we did that.”
He laughed again. The low rumbly sound of it hit me behind my ribs and I sucked in a breath.
“So, what can I do for you, Dathal?”
How was I supposed to explain that hearing his voice settled the anxiety inside me without encouraging him into thinking this thing between us could be more?
And just maybe you’re worrying about nothing. Maybe Nick isn’t the one who needs reminding.
And maybe that annoying voice in my head needed to stop sounding like Axel.
Lying had never been my strong suit, so I went with the truth. “I wanted to hear your voice… before I went through the gateway. For some reason, talking to you is soothing in a way I don’t understand.”
Nick stared at me.
And in hindsight, maybe that had been a bit too honest.
I heard Gabriel’s voice in the background. “I have to go.” He still hadn’t said anything and I didn’t want to leave it like this. “I’m sorry if I made things weird. I didn’t want to lie.”
