Page 38 of Sanctuary After Dark

He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his side. I smiled and turned so I could cuddle into him properly while he found the remote for my television and turned it on to look for a movie.

Hearing my door open, I looked up and smiled, seeing Lucas standing there with a tray in his hand that had snacks and drinks on it.

"Hmm, this is a perfect sight to walk into."

Burying my face into Lincoln's chest, I couldn't help but giggle.

I fucking giggled!

When was the last time I had really done that?

I allowed my filters to fall and dipped my toes into my little space, and for the first time in a long time, I wasn't scared to.

Lifting my head and watching Lucas approach and set the tray on the bedside table, he removed his pants as well before climbing into the bed with us.

"How does Toy Story sound?"

My head whipped toward Lincoln, and my jaw dropped a little.

"That's my most favoritest Disney movie! Yes, please."

Lincoln grinned and nodded as he pressed play, and I could hear Lucas chuckling next to me. A water bottle showed up in front of me and I took it from him.

"Drink some water and then eat something. Once you feel better, I think we need to talk. There's something Lincoln and I want to discuss with you. But for now, just relax and watch the movie."

Sipping the water for a moment, I nodded and settled back against the pillows while Lincoln held me close and Lucas handed me little pieces of meat and cheese and crackers. I didn't even worry about what they wanted to talk to me about. I just giggled at the movie and let myself relax for the first time in a long time.

Chapter 13

Hearing Elias crying out in his room will stay with me for a long time. The way that my heart stopped and my stomach dropped as Lincoln and I jumped up from where we had been sitting on the floor in the hallway and rushed into his room to find his thrashing on his bed; it'll stay with me replaying in my mind.

I hated seeing him so scared when he finally woke up to the point that he hadn't even recognized us and had scrambled away to hide behind the chair in his room. Squeezing himself into the corner into the smallest ball that he could until we could get through to him. The moment he recognized us, I had been so scared that he would still pull away from us.

But the moment he locked eyes with me and saw Lincoln kneeling beside me on the floor, he launched himself into my arms, and I let out a breath of relief as I hugged him tightly.

We sat there on the floor until my legs went numb. I didn't dare move him as he cried against my shoulder, Lincoln rubbing at his back with the same concern flooding his eyes that were in mine. We locked eyes with each other, and I knew that we needed to talk to Elias after this.

We’d been careful. We ensured that every step was measured, and every boundary was respected. Because Elias comes first. He always came first.

But I’m done pretending I don’t feel anything. I’m done pretending that this gorgeous boy in front of me isn’t mine.

I glance at Lincoln again, and he already knows. Of course he does. He knows me better than anyone else. And one look at him shows me he feels the same way. He’s done pretending, too.

We had been talking about this together since he came here to us. We didn't want to push him at all, and if we pursued him, we had agreed that nothing would change with how we were helping him with his therapy. We would move at his pace because we won’t risk his trust, which he gave us like a gift.

And it is a gift.

One we will always cherish and protect.

But we don’t want to hide anymore either.

Once we got him off the floor after he had calmed down, I let Lincoln usher him to the bathroom to get him cleaned up while I went down to the kitchen to get us some much-needed snacks.

Running my hand over my face as I made my way in, I looked up to see Gar and Raven already in there. Raven was busy making what looked like croissants on the kitchen island while Gar was keeping them company with his sketchpad in front of him and working on some sort of tattoo design for his shop. He looked up when he heard me come in.

"Hey, bro. You good? How's Elias?"

Opening the refrigerator, I grabbed a couple of bottles of water and some juice for Elias as I sighed. I had come down earlier to get snacks for Elias, but he hadn't opened the door at all, and I had run into Gar when he had first arrived and told him what had happened. I was glad that I had a chance to talk to him. He was probably Lincoln and I's best friend. We had grown up together, and he was the first one we told about our idea for the club.