Five minutes later, I was still gasping for breath in my car. The sobs wrecked my chest, contracted my diaphragm. I dug out a box of Kleenex from under the seat and dabbed the tissue beneath my eyes.
Why do you do this to yourself?the wild thing asked, shaking her head at me.
I didn’t know. I didn’t know how to get rid of this pain.
When my face had dried, I got out of the car, crossed the street, and walked up a familiar driveway. Kaz’s car was parked in its usual spot.
I knocked twice.
A moment later, the door swung open, and there they were. Both of them were standing on the other side, gorgeous and breathtaking, looking back at me.
“Hi,” I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
Mase smiled. “Come on in.”
Kaz stepped aside to let me in, and my arm brushed against his chest as I entered the house. Fire licked at my skin. My gaze found his, and inside I saw such longing it almost knocked me off my feet.
“What’s up with the contract?” I asked once we made it to their living room. I had about five minutes in me, maybe ten, before I lost it. Asking Ade for help yesterday had been a walk in the park compared to this.
Kaz picked up a stack of papers from the dining table and handed them to me. “Page five, clause twelve. Read it.”
Noisily, I flipped to the page in question.
Clause 12. The Company grants to the Artist the right to hire their own additional staff for the duration of the contract. The Company agrees to pay the staff’s salary as long as their role falls within the conditions specified in Exhibit B.
My brows furrowed.
“Adeline told us you’re embarking on a new venture,” Kaz said, his voice softer than usual. “We’d like to be your first client.”
My stomach fluttered uncontrollably.
“Our fans adore your photos,” Mason said, taking a step closer. “And they want more. We wantyouto be the one documenting all of this. We trust you, Mol.”
I handed the papers to him with trembling hands.
“We need your help,” Kaz spoke. “We can’t imagine doing any of this without you by our side.”
I knew what they were doing, but it didn’t make the tactic any less effective. By hiring me to do what I loved, what I thought I could be good at, they were freeing me. I would be aiding them. Propelling them forward.
There was nothing burdensome about that, was there?
The tears were back. I sucked in a breath, my gaze flittering from one perfect man to the other.
A hand curled around the back of my neck, and Mason’s blue gaze bore into mine. “Don’t be scared,” he murmured. “There are many scary things in this world, but this—us—isn’t one of them. Do you want to know what I feel when I look at you?” He brushed my hair behind my ear. “I feel like I can do anything in the entire world, like I’m omnipotent. You give me strength I never thought I’d have. You make me the man I’ve always meant to be, Molly. Powerful, caring, determined. Alone, I’d never be enough for you, but together—” he looked to Kaz, “—together, we can give you everything you deserve. And you deserve the world.”
His words stole all the air out of my lungs. How did one respond to something as immense as that?
“He’s right,” Kaz said, tearing my attention to him. “Look at us, Mol. We’re not normal. We’d tried to fit in with the world— Well, maybe I didn’t try too hard,” he said with a wry smirk. “But it didn’t work. The status quo never was and never will be for us. We’re different, and the best barometer we have for how we should live our lives isn’t here—” he touched his index finger to my temple, “—but here.” He moved his palm to my chest, placing it above my racing heart. “Who does your heart beat for?”
Something shifted inside my chest, like an old trunk getting moved after a long time. Or a cage. Its outline remained on the ground, a reminder, but it was gone.
The wild thing!
Everything was quiet until a soft voice caressed me from the inside.At last, we’re one now.
Strength surged inside my veins, making my blood run warm. I reached for my lovers’ hands and took them into mine.
“You. It beats for you. For both of you.”
