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“We brought you into this world, and you’re handling it like a fucking champ,” he says. “And I think that was hard for me to understand because I…” He gestures at his metal limbs. “I was brought here in amuchdifferent way. For me, being here was pain and fear and slavery. You’re working to change that, and I don’t know why I didn’t see it before.”
“Because I was reckless,” I say.
“Sure,” Kye shrugs. “But it’s also because I just wanted…I don’t know, to date you? Take you to meet my family, get dinner and drinks, drive you around in my red corvette…”
“You had a corvette?” I deadpan, cocking my eyebrow.
“Of course I had a fucking corvette,” Kye snorts. “All this to say, though…maybe we both fucked up a little, and I realized something on Borealis.”
“What was that?” I ask.
He squeezes my hand. “That I’m not willing to lose you forever over some petty disagreement. If I have to fly you around in a warship instead of driving you to dinner…I’ll take it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
KYE
After my conversation with Nereus, it seems like I’m not having a hard time opening up anymore. I’ve kept a lot bottled up for the longest time, and I thought it was to protect them.
But as I look down at Fiona, who still has tears in her eyes, I realize that I’ve only been protecting myself.
I have only made things hard for her. For Nereus.
“Let’s go find him,” I say, interlacing my fingers with hers.
Her hazel eyes widen with realization, then she nods as our fingers intertwine. Her hands are soft and small in my own, her fingers cool against my skin.
She actually giggles. The sound gives me butterflies. I can’t remember the last time Fiona just laughed in my presence, and I love seeing her like this. Her guard is down. She seems happy. And seeing Fiona happy is something I’ve sorely missed, to the point where I almost feel like I’m about to burst into tears myself.
I’m holding back, though. I want to talk to Nereus.
He was the one who opened my eyes. The one who finally made me see how selfish I was being.
I’ve been a fool.
We walk into Nereus’ room without knocking. He’s standing in front of a mirror. At the exact moment we walk in, he’s unclasping the neck piece that holds his cape together at his neck.
“Hey,” I say as he turns around. “Are we interrupting something?”
His gaze flits between us, finally landing on our hands, and I watch a smile tug at the corner of his lips. “No,” he says. He finishes taking off his cape in one fell swoop, hangs it off a metal hook, tidy as usual. There’s plenty of seating in Nereus’ bedroom, but he gestures toward the bed instead.
I let go of Fiona’s hand. She sits down on the bed, turning her head to look at Nereus, a shy smile playing on her pretty face. “I don’t know why we’re here,” she says. “But Kye was very insistent that it was important.”
I sigh. “You should sit, too,” I tell Nereus. He sits down next to her. They’re very close to each other, their legs touching, and Fiona’s hand rests on his knee. I can’t help but be a little jealous, but I realize I did this myself. Neither one of them pushed me out.
Idecidednot to be part of this.
I rub my temple, fighting off my growing stress headache.I don’t know where to start.
“I have a lot to say,” I say softly, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears. They’re both sitting on the bed, looking up at me while I stand in front of them. There’s a part of me—the horny, distracted part—that wants to cross the space between us and get between them so I can kiss both of them.
They’re both so gorgeous—Nereus with his dancer physique and Fiona with her soft curves and hardened muscles. They’re both sobeautiful. I want to make them both come and scream, but I’m telling myself that I need to talk to them first.
It’s easy for me to get lost in how good sex feels without worrying about the consequences and the things we’re not saying to each other. I’ve never found it easy to talk, but I think it’s time I stop making things easy for myself.
At least at their expense.
“I have been…selfish,” I say. The word tastes bitter in my mouth, but I mean it. “I understand that the two of you are dealing with an impossible situation, with things that I can’t even begin to comprehend.”
