Page 22

“That one,” Kassian says, nodding at the door next to ours.

I knock on the door and wait. It doesn’t take long before the door opens and Mars, one of the men who work with us as our own personal security, is standing there. He tilts his head to the side, looking at me and then the flowers.

“Hey, Nix. What’s this?”

“Flowers,” I tell him with a grin. “They’re for you!”

“Oh,” he says, taking the flowers from me. He smiles softly, his cheeks turning pink. “Thank you for bringing them over.”

Mars is about to close the door but I stop him. “Who’re they from?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t read the card yet.”

I hum softly, narrowing my eyes. “Any guesses?”

Mars pauses, looking at me. “You’re being rather nosy. What about you, Nix? You planning on sending anyone flowers?”

I sputter and close the door. I can still hear him giggling from the other side.

“So?” Kassian perks up when I step into our room. “Who’re they from?”

I shrug, letting myself fall back onto my bed. “He wouldn’t tell me! He said I was being nosy!”

Kassian snorts. “It’s a mystery.”

I turn over and look at Kassian. “A mystery I think we should solve.”

Chapter Seven

Dean

The windows are down as I drive, ruffling my hair. The air outside smells like freshly cut grass. The sun is out and I grab my sunglasses, popping them onto my face.

The radio is softly playing in the background, some pop station that Nix put on. He bobs his head to the song, singing to himself while looking out the window, taking everything in as we drive past.

My eyes flick up to the rear view mirror, looking at Kassian. He’s reading, his brows furrowed as he does. His long hair is braided behind his ears and then pulled up into a messy bun at the crown of his head. It looks really pretty like that.

None of us are talking but that’s okay. There’s a peacefulness that comes with being with people who are allowed to sit in each other’s presence while being quiet. It’s nice. Really, really nice.

I’m not sure how it happened but since meeting Kassian and Nix, I’ve felt happier. It’s hard to put into words but now that I’ve been spending time with them, I look back and see how lonely I’ve become. It’s been over twenty years since I’ve had companionship like this.

I like spending time with them. I like listening to them talk. I even like how childish they tend to be around each other. It makes me feel younger. It makes me feel light.

I want to keep getting to know them. I want to spend all my time with them. My heart stutters in my chest as I remember they’ll be leaving soon. What am I going to do when they go back on the road? What will I do when my house goes back to feeling too big, too empty?

Genuinely, I cannot remember the last time I felt longing like this in my chest. Have I ever felt longing like this? With Helen, things were different. She was my best friend and I loved her unconditionally, but I didn’t long for her.

All of these feelings are brand new. I’m over fifty years old, yet I’m feeling things I’ve never experienced before. It’s terrifying, but at the same time, it’s exhilarating. I want to chase these feelings. I want to dissect them and discover what they mean. I want to hold them close to my chest and keep them safe.

Clearing my throat, I look in the rear view mirror again, getting Kassian’s attention. His pretty golden eyes snap up and meet mine. “You should find a good place to stop. We’re almost there,” I tell him.

“Thanks, Dean,” he says with a soft smile, his eyes going back to his book.

Nix looks away from the window. “I’m so excited. Hopefully it’s not too cold to get in the water.”

“It’ll be cold,” I tell him with a shrug. “But I think you can handle it. Once you’re in, you’ll get used to it quickly.”

“If I’m freezing, you’ll be ready to warm me up, right?”