He rests his hands on my thighs, concern pinching his eyebrows. “What’s wrong? How can I help?” he asks urgently, genuineness in his stare.
My head shakes side to side, and the tears in my eyes starts to cascade down my cheeks.
I don’t know what to do or say. Nothing is going to make my breakdown clearer or any better, both for me and for them.
Dean’s hands shift from my thighs up to my cheeks, cupping my face as his thumbs wipe away my tears. “Talk to us. Tell us how we can help.”
“Do you want to go home? We can go back to the house.”
I shake my head, not wanting to be reminded of the drastic differences in our lives. I practically live in their basement, cleaning their house and pretending that I don’t notice the vast separation of who we are and the lives we live.
“I-I …” Words fail me, every possibility sounding far too pathetic in my mind to slip past my lips. They remain silent, giving me a second to gather myself. “What are we doing?”
“We were taking you to class.”
I cut Asher off, “No, I mean, what are we doing together? What is this?”
Dean’s brows furrow, his voice calm and steady. “You know what it is. You feel it. Just like we do.”
“I don’t want to be a game or a temporary form of entertainment.” My voice cracks, along with my heart. “Look, I know that I’m not an easy person to like, let alone love?—”
Dean’s hand slips from my cheek to my mouth, halting the word vomit from continuing. “Stop.” His face contorts with sadness. “Don’t do that. Please don’t diminish yourself, especially to us.”
Asher kisses the top of my head. “Cirella, you have no idea what you mean to us, how important you are. Don’t let Adrianna make you believe any differently. She’s a vile leech.”
Dean takes over, drowning me in reassurance that has my cheeks dampening for reasons other than fear and panic. “You’re selfless. So goddamn beautiful. You’re the reason we’ve been staying afloat lately. You’reeverythingto us, Cirella.” He pauses, taking a shuddering breath. “It’s not a secret to us, and it shouldn’t be to you. I’m falling for you, Princess. We both are. None of this is temporary or for entertainment.”
“You know us better than that. You’ve seen sides of us no one else has, and you don’t question standing strong for us. We feel the same way. You’re not hard to like, to love, to obsess over. It’s impossible not to be absolutely and completely obsessed with you. You’re a force of nature drawing us in, and we want to be stuck to you forever.”
He wipes the tears from beneath my eyes, but they keep flowing, as I’m taken aback by his heartfelt confession. Asher peppers kisses into my hair, his hand sliding into it along the base of my neck and wrapping around the front.
“It’s you and us against the world,” Asher promises into my ear.
“I’m sorry—” I cry.
“No!” Asher shouts at the same time Dean says, “Don’t.”
A giggle bursts out of me. “What?”
Dean’s lips twitch up. “Never say sorry to useveragain. I don’t care if you hit us with a car. You’ll say,You’re welcome for giving you so much extra physical attention, boys.” He kisses me quickly, like he couldn’t help it. “But I don’t want to hear those words fall from your pretty lips again.”
“Okay.” I grin, unable to stop it from damn near taking over my face.
“Good girl,” Asher praises, sending an enticing shiver down my spine, anchoring deep in my core.
A smirk kicks the side of Dean’s lips. “You like being a good girl, Princess?”
Biting down on my bottom lip, I nod. “Maybe.”
Asher’s hands slide down my body, his palms drifting along my hips, disappearing beneath my thighs, and pushing out from between my legs. He pulls them further apart, and I gasp, the sensation warming me.
“You’re riding withmethis time,” Asher announces, the only warning I get before he hauls me up, lifting me into the air and completely off of Dean’s bike. “We’re going home. You’ll be staying with us until you believe us when we tell you you’re perfect.”
“But class—” I protest, knowing there’s no way in hell I’m going to attend today.
“Is dismissed.” Asher beams, lowering me down onto the back of his bike.
Dean tosses him my helmet before turning to me, his bluish green eyes hypnotic in the sunlight, almost too beautiful. “Do you want to take a second to relax? Catch your breath?”
