AllFreeNovel
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I move onto the silverware, with seven spoons and seven forks and seven butter knives because if we didn’t have the same number of each of them, Noah would lose his marbles.
We have some miscellaneous cooking knives from a set Atlas gave me for my birthday one year, and even though they don’t get much use because my cooking skills are basic at best, I still pull some of them out on occasion—usually when he and Shiloh visit—because it brings the biggest smile to his face.
I pause where I’ve picked up and started scrubbing the big cutting knife. Have I always thought of Atlas as more than just Shiloh’s best friend? Seeing him smile has always made me happy. Anything I’d do for Shiloh, I’d do for Atlas just as earnestly.
Atlas is family in all the ways that matter.
But he’s also like sunshine in a bottle. Pure and blinding.
I’ve never seen beyond the light on the surface until I started talking to A. Now I’ve caught a glimpse between the cracks, and I don’t want to take away that safe place he’s built with ‘B’.
But is it wrong of me to pretend now that I know the truth?
“Blair-Bear, you’re bleeding!”
Noah’s panicked squeak has me dropping the knife and sponge into the soapy water, and the stinging in my arm registers as I blink through the haze.
There’s a thin line of blood trickling down my wrist and into the water, and I press a finger to the little half inch mark where I must have grazed it while I was off in my head.
“I’m alright.” I turn the sink on and hold my arm under the water while I dig around in one of the drawers for where we keep the washcloths. Once most of the blood is rinsed away, I switch the water off and hold the cloth to my arm until the bleeding stops.
Noah keeps watching me and worrying his lip from where he’s perched at our tiny counter, and I step over to place a gentle kiss on his forehead.
“I’m alright,” I reassure him. “Just a little nick. Got a bit lost in thought.”
He doesn’t look convinced, a pout taking over his mouth the longer he gazes up at me. “I’d offer to kiss it better, but I really don’t like bodily fluids.”
I raise my brow, and the pout lets up long enough for a tiny giggle to slip out of him. “Other than spit. I’m good with spit.”
He tilts his face up, and I place a quick kiss on his lips just as there’s a knock on the door.
“You expecting company?” I ask.
He shakes his head, stealing another kiss. “No. You?”
I shrug and take a couple of steps over to the door, coming face to face with a tray of something hot and chocolatey as soon as I pull it open.
“That’s one way to greet someone,” I say as Atlas lowers the tray and Shiloh rolls his eyes, cocking his hip on my door frame.
“I told him to rest. I really did,” Shiloh says, putting both hands up in mock surrender. “He insisted on baking. Oh, and I have board games.” He taps a bag on the floor with his foot.
“Am I missing something?”
Atlas hasn’t looked up once since I opened the door, a tight expression on his face.
“Family game night.” Shiloh waves his hand dismissively and shoulders his way inside with the bag.
Alright. I guess that’s decided then.
When I reach out to grab the tray of what I think are cookies from Atlas’ hands, his eyes catch on the cloth still on my wrist, and he quickly switches the sweets to one hand and gently grasps my wrist in the other.
He lifts the towel, and without the pressure blood wells back up and drips from the wound. I haven’t taken a good look at it yet, so I’m not sure if it’s because of the fact my body is slow at clotting or if that knife cut deeper than it looked.
“Dishes,” I say, trying to crack a smile, but the way Atlas’ already bleak expression dims obliterates my efforts and my shoulders fall. “I was just about to go to the bathroom and get it cleaned up.”
He nods, a little bit of the wariness lifting. He drops his grip from my wrist to my fingers, twining them between his and stalking into the apartment like it’s his own, pulling me behind him.
Atlas is no stranger to my apartment; he and Shiloh have dropped by unannounced plenty of times, wanting to hang out for the evening.. He drops the tray of sweets off in the kitchen and shuffles us both into the bathroom, shutting the door behind us and having me sit on the toilet seat while he digs under the sink.
