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“You good?” Ciar asks.
“Don’t you feel weird that he just left?” I ask, continuing to look at the doorway.
“No,” Ciar replies, shaking his head. “He’s going to railroad me into paying ten times what the stupid pillow costs, but I can handle it.”
“But he thought…”
“That we were doing dirty things?” If this came from Ryes or even Mael, I’d think they were teasing. But Ciar’s a steady calm, and I know he’s genuinely asking.
“Yes.” A nearly silent whisper. I’m not sure what is redder right now—me or Mael’s destroyed pillow.
“Eventually,mo sholas, we’d all like a sexual relationship with you,” Ciar says. “If your boundaries ever go that way, and that means that we’re all going to want private moments with you. We’re good at respecting that, and the times we’re not, well, we’ll get over them.”
“I see.” I don’t. I truly don’t.
Ciar drops two fingers, and lifts my chin so that I meet his eyes. His eyelashes are thick and long as he slowly blinks, hypnotising me slightly as he lowers his face to mine.
I don’t have time to panic before his lips brush across mine.
It’s a sweet kiss, not pushing or too demanding, before he slowly pulls back.
“That was selfish of me,” he murmurs, and I gape at him.
“No it was not!”
He laughs, and the true humour in his tone makes me smile in kind. He’s worried about something, so I’m glad to give him a small reprieve.
“It was an accident,” he says, stepping back from me. I don’t like that he’s putting distance between us, so I step forward. An amused look crosses his face before he sighs. “I’m the reason those men got in.”
I shrug. “You’re also the reason they’re gone. Is that your worry?”
He blinks in shock. “Um, yes.”
“Okay then. Let’s go deal with Mael and the pillow situation,” I say, looking at the clock. It’s now 2:34 am. I’m not sure whether that was a long time for a fight or not, but I do know my brain is far too alert to go back to sleep.
“That’s it? You’re not mad that I put you in danger? That I put Mael in danger?” His jaw has dropped as his eyes dart over every inch of my face as he searches for the lie. When he finds nothing, his eyes widen and he unconsciously takes a step back.
He’s confused, unsure of whether this is a trick.
“It was an accident,” I soothe, taking his hand in mine. I’m glad he takes it, even as he gazes at it in wonder. “I’m sure you’ll be more careful next time. Right?”
“Yeah.”
I nod again, and tug him forward. He seems a little surprised, but honestly, I don’t think he should be. I’m not one to hold grudges, not really, and literally, nothing happened other than waking me up.
“You’re acting like Ryes right now,” Mael says with a small smirk on his face. “Are you seriously flexing about, walking on clouds?”
“I’m so confused.”
“He’s talking about our kiss,” Ciar explains, and I blush but force myself not to hide. Ciar doesn’t need my acting like I’m ashamed. “Right, what’s the deal with this fucking pillow?”
I laugh as they start bartering, and I head through to make us some tea. It’s early, or late.
When does it become early? When is it late?
I’d argue it’s once I’ve slept, but what if I’m wrong?
“If you’re wrong, then absolutely nothing changes,” Zohar says, appearing through a portal I didn’t sense open. He seems pretty chirpy, but the moment he spots me, worry fills his face. His brows pinch together, and his eyes dart between us as he tries to pull the reason for us being awake from our brains.
