He glances back, catches me staring, and smiles.
There it is again.
That quiet, dangerous pull in the centre of my chest.
The one that still feels new and permanent at the same time.
Later, while most of the family is outside and Luke is loudly losing a game he claims he never agreed to play, I carry a stack of glasses into the kitchen.
Mark appears beside me.
“Come upstairs.”
I glance over my shoulder towards the patio.
“Why?”
“I want to give you your present.”
I snort softly.
“You are aware sex does not count as a gift.”
His mouth twitches.
“Noted.”
He takes the glasses from my hands and sets them down.
Then he nods towards the stairs.
“Come on.”
There is something in his voice that makes me follow without another comment.
The noise downstairs dulls with every step.
At the bedroom door, Mark lets me walk in first.
The room is cooler than below, curtains moving gently in the sea breeze.
On top of the chest of drawers, Heath is curled in his beanie, entirely uninterested in human birthdays.
Mark closes the door.
I turn.
“Well?”
He doesn’t answer immediately.
Just looks at me.
Too serious.
My stomach tightens.
“Mark?”
