Eight years.
That was the number I kept landing on. Eight years of believing Dagon hated me. Eight years of thinking I had done something wrong. Eight years of watching him walk away from rooms I'd entered. Eight years. And it had cost me a brother and a friend and, I knew now – a mate. All because King had decided one afternoon in a hospital corridor that what was forming between us wasn't real. That my feelings weren't real. That Dagon's weren't either. That an angel knew better than two souls who had recognized each other the way mine had recognized Dagon's.
I rationally understood. King had been trying to protect his children.
But understanding wasn't the same as forgiveness, and I wasn't sure forgiveness was on the table yet.
The fear was connected with my brothers, not King. I worried about how our brothers would react, whether they would accept us the way we are, which prompted me to call Bren while Dagon visited Adam.
“Is Dagon okay? Are you?” Bren asked immediately.
“We're fine,” I reassured him.
Once satisfied we were safe, Bren's tone turned mischievous. “My brothers are dating each other.” He cackled loudly. “Oh, this is soooo good!”
“Bren,” I warned.
“Think about it! It’s like one of your books. Wait, what did you call it? Enemies-to-lovers!”
“We're not enemies-to-lovers.”
“You totally are,” he argued.
“We are more like fake-enemies-who-are-also-adopted-brothers-forced-to-distance-ourselves-to-lovers.”
“That… doesn’t even make sense, and it was long,” he laughed.
“Oh, it does make sense. Trust me.”
After a brief pause, Bren said, “I’m happy for you. For both of you.”
“Thank you, Bren.”
“I mean, I’ll definitely make fun of you guys when you get back and poke you for details. Except for sex details. None of those, please. I don’t wanna know how my brothers fuck each other.”
“Bren!” I screamed, choking on a laugh.
“Okay, okay, seriously though. Does he make you happy?”
“Yes,” I answered instantly.
“You treat each other right? Respect each other?”
“Yes.”
“Is he there when you need him?” he was about to add more to the question, but he stopped himself.
“Yes.”
“And I guess the answer to all of these questions, if I ask him, would be the same.”
“Yeah.”
“I will still ask him. That’s all I need. It'll take time seeing you two together romantically, but that's my issue. I support you two.”
Emotions tightened my throat. “Thank you, Bren.”
“No matter what, Di, both of you are still my brothers. And tell Dagon if he hurts you, I’ll kick his ass, and I’ll kick your ass if you hurt him.”
