Blinking, she looked past Hayden to see the familiar brick of their three-story home.
The other truck door slammed shut, and Joel came around the vehicle carrying a white paper bag in one hand.
Noticing her looking at the bag, Joel gave her a smile. "While you were conked out, we stopped and got some barbecue."
Sapphire's cheeks heated, and she turned away, hurrying to follow Hayden through the now unlocked back door. My God, just how tired was she? Did they go through the drive-through with her passed out against him? Did anyone else see her? Embarrassment fueled every step as she climbed the stairs up to the second floor.
This time dinner with the both of them was much more informal. Sitting on the ridiculously comfy but very ugly couches, Sapphire sat between the two of them and ate her barbecue sandwich as they watched some show about breaking out of an intergalactic prison.
The awkwardness that existed between them when she woke up in the truck earlier had thankfully disappeared. She almost let out a sigh. A sigh of relief, maybe? Or was it from the familiar comfort from earlier at the beach that again surrounded her?
Wrapping up the empty foil paper, she tucked it neatly into the paper bag and sat back against the cushions. The show was getting intense. The characters were fighting in a derelict ship that was quickly losing oxygen. But Sapphire couldn't get into it. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes as she rested deeper into the plush cushions behind her. It was just so warm and—safe. Opening her eyes, she allowed herself to glance at Joel and Hayden's relaxed postures on either side of her and couldn't help but take another deep shuddering breath. She feared she was too caught up in the moment. That somehow, the rug was suddenly going to get pulled out from beneath her, and all of this would all fade away once reality came crashing back in. Looking down, her gaze stopped at the sight of Hayden's hand. Was it childish of her to want him to hold it again? To hold both of their hands right now just like they had at the beach? The thought made her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. That would be extremely childish, she told herself firmly.
A sneeze jolted her from her thoughts.
Joel pointed a remote to the TV, and the show paused. "Okay, go take a shower," he commanded.
Sapphire frowned at that. "I'm fine, I-"
Hayden's deep serious voice cut her off. "I would prefer you not get sick."
Seeing that they were being completely serious, Sapphire shook her head in disbelief before standing up. "Fine, but no matter what you two say, you're turning into a real pair ofunclesright now."
Joel made a scoffing noise as she passed by him. "I just prefer you not infect the customers."
"Mmm, sure," she gave him a patronizing smile that only seemed to make his cobalt eyes light up in challenge. Looking beyond him, she caught Hayden's calm, steady gaze, and her smile softened a little. "Goodnight."
Leaning forward, Hayden ran a hand over his freshly trimmed beard. It looked better. Turning his head to the left and then the right, he blinked at his reflection before looking down at the sink filled with hair trimmings. Some of his hair fell forward onto his forehead, and Hayden looked back up at his reflection. He guessed he should get this trimmed too, but he certainly wasn't going to do it. Hayden grimaced at the memory of the last time he cut his own hair. It had been years ago when he, Joel, and Vic had been running and gunning and living out of dilapidated trailers in the woods. He had cut it using a pair of scissors and a broken hand mirror. Joel and Vic hadn't let him hear the end of it for damn near a week. He would just have to go to the town's only barber.
Cleaning up the sink, he opened the bathroom door and walked out, and stopped. He watched as the feather-light footsteps stepped off the last stairs at the end of the hallway.
Standing there in a soft purple pajama set made out of some sort of material only women's and baby clothing were ever made out of, Sapphire paused and turned around.
There was a glass in her hand. She must have been coming down for a glass of water.
Her eyes widened at the sight of him, and he watched her walk toward him, her bare feet making no sound against the hardwood floor.
She stopped directly in front of him. "Hey, I can see your face now."
Her voice felt like feathers drifting down from the heavens and falling softly over his head and shoulders, and Hayden had the indescribable urge to shut his eyes. But he was glad he didn't. The electrifying jolt of her cool fingertips touching his stubbled cheek nearly broke the hard-fought control that corded through his body. Still, as a statue, he stared down his nose at her, hardly daring to breathe as he felt her fingertips ghost over his beard. Hayden watched as her penny-copper eyes took in every detail of his face as if seeing him for the first time.
"You look…" Her words hung in the air between them, attaching to his soul like hooks.
Hayden didn’t resist their pull and stepped forward despite every protest from the rational side of his mind. He let out a low involuntary noise from deep in his chest as he pushed his face deeper into her hand until he felt the flat of her soft palm.
This close, Hayden could see the flecking of freckles across her nose and cheeks. He watched like a statue come to life under a witch's touch as her mouth opened to speak once more.
The sound of a door opening behind her interrupted the fragile air around them, bursting the undefined moment like a bubble.
Her hand fell from his cheek, and Hayden felt himself break free from her spell. Not for the first time that day, he shot a poisonous look at his friend and brother, who stood in the opening of his door. Joel's eyes danced back and forth between Sapphire and Hayden before dropping accusingly to her hand. Hayden had to suppress a growl as he watched his brother's lips form into a slow, almost maniacal grin.
"Wacha doin?" Joel purred dangerously as he stepped closer to them.
Nervously, Sapphire's eyes bounced between him and Joel before looking back at Joel. "I was just complimenting him on his beard."
Hayden ran a hand through his long hair, anything to keep himself from reaching out and choking him, as Joel looked him over, noting his trimmed beard for himself.
"I was going to tell him I can finally see what he looks like now," Sapphire laughed nervously as she shifted on her feet.
