For a dozen heartbeats their gazes remained locked. Pyxlevir didn’t add that he was a damn kid too, but he swore it hung in the charged air between them. They’d been barely more than children when Gramlithyn had decided being mated to Pyxlevir hadn’t suited him and ran off into the wilderness.
Gramlithyn swung his head, and his mouth firmed.
“I know,” he eventually said.
The hybrid yanked his phone out of pocket, and Pyxlevir was effectively dismissed. It fucking hurt, pissing Pyxlevir off. But he didn’t utter a word. Like Gramlithyn, he dug out his phone and fired off a text to the twins. The sooner they were done shopping, the better.
∞∞∞
At mid-morning, the apartment was silent.Or nearly silent, Gramlithyn amended as Dasan bounded into the living room, singing under his breath and clicking his magnets together in one hand.
“It’s stupid, but I miss this weekend,” Dasan said. “It was fun last night making sundaes with the twins. The horror movie was a choice though. I could’ve skipped that shit.”
“Next time, say something. No one wants to put on something that everyone isn’t enjoying.”
“Except your Pyxlevir was legit burrowed under a throw blanket by the halfway point. I bet he saw about as much of the movie as I did.”
Gramlithyn shrugged, though it was feigned. “I didn’t notice.”
“Yes, you fucking did.”
“Excuse me?”
“Since I didn’t want to watch the movie, I was paying attention. You were sneaking glances at Pyxlevir constantly.”
Refusing to lie, Gramlithyn blew out a breath and sagged on the couch. “Maybe I was concerned because he wasn’t watching the movie. As teenagers, we watched all kinds of stuff, and he wasn’t one to hide from any of it.”
“Well, if you’d looked at the scene once or twice, you would’ve noticed that it wasn’t very scary. It was mostly blood and guts, which was gross. Maybe he was feeling squeamish.”
“I guess so.”
Dasan flopped onto the sofa, a cushion away from Gramlithyn. “Did you and Pyxlevir have a nice chat at the grocery store?”
“Not really. We talked about how dumb it was for you guys to run off without a cart or basket.”
“Yeah, shitty planning. I had to run back and get one. We were gone for a while though; you guys had plenty of chance to chat.”
Something in Dasan’s voice had Gramlithyn focusing on his friend, and his eyes narrowed. “It took you forever to answer my text yesterday wondering where the hell you guys were. That’s unlike you.”
“Well, duh. We wanted to give you guys the chance to get reacquainted. The whole point of this moving in together thing is so you guys can reconnect.”
“Dasan, what kind of deep emotional conversations do you think anyone could have in a grocery store? We discussed vegetables and fruits for about five seconds. Then we stood around awkwardly until you three joined us so we could get the fuck out of there.”
“Way to make the best use of your time, dude. You have an apology to make. Say you’re sorry for leaving him for six years.”
“If he’s anything like the Pyxlevir I knew, the first thing he’d ask me iswhyI left. Do you honestly think I’m ready to bare my heart and explain that it broke me that he didn’t want me as a mate?”
“You better be because that’s going to be a necessary step.”
Gramlithyn scowled. “Not the day after we move in together while we’re in a grocery store grabbing fucking carrots.”
“I’m saying you gotta embrace every opportunity you’re together if you want to have any chance at this working out.”
“It takes two people to create a successful matebond.”
“Duh, but someone has to make the first move.”
Although Gramlithyn’s conscience was telling him that Dasan was right, he was also terrified. His first instinct had been to run, and a part of him was still chicken enough to find that idea inspiring. The zebra he shared his soul with wanted the opposite and whinnied in his head. His beast yearned for their other half. If Gramlithyn desired any sense of harmony with his zebra, he needed to mend the rift between him and Pyxlevir—and do it swiftly.
