Page 74 of Obsessions of the Heart

“What’s wro—”

I cut him off, massaging my forehead while giving them a wince. “I have a massive headache. I think I’m going to go to bed early.”

I turned around, smacking right into Rion. He lifted his hand, moving to touch my forehead, and I fisted my hands, trying to keep from pushing him away from me. He hesitated, his eyes narrowing on me before he moved to the side. “I hope you feel better after some rest. Please let us know if you need anything.”

Mumbling my thanks, I scampered off, but not before I heard him growl, “What the fuck did you two do?”

“We didn't do anything!” Ravi screeched, but I ignored it and went up the stairs. As soon as I got to the top, I went straight for Roux’s room. Even if it was Rion’s night, I couldn't keep being fake all night long while he held me. Was all of this a lie?

Tears sprang into my eyes, but I sucked them up. This was why I wanted Roux’s room. He would sleep on a blow-up bed like last time, saying that he didn't want to be tempted by lying next to me. At first, I was offended, but now I was grateful.

I needed to get a good night's rest, to reset and collect my thoughts before I brought this up to them. I could be jumping the gun, but I really didn't think that was the case.

Slathering on Roux’s cream, I put on my pajamas and settled into bed. Taking the next thirty minutes to think about everything, my mind ran ragged until the door creaked open. I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Several footsteps sounded, and I could feel it the instant all three of them circled the bed, looking down at me. I steadied my breathing, keeping it just audible enough not to tip them off that it was fake. Everything was silent until two sets of steps sounded again, getting further and further away.

I willed myself to sleep now, knowing that I was going to be watched, so the best course of action was to actually sleep.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I would hear them out, figuring out what was going on, and then I could make plans for my future. It was the only thing I had going for me.

I tossed and turned the whole night, nightmares plaguing my dreams. When I woke up, it was around eleven AM. Fuck! I had blown away my whole morning, and I had things to do. Grabbing the first set of clothes I saw, I flew out of the room and down the stairs, right into the three of them. They were huddled in front of the front door, all looking slightly disheveled, and the vindictive side of me relished their unkempt look.

All three of them turned to me with varying degrees of agitation, and I almost backed up a step. “Rin, our uncle came into town earlier than expected, and we have to go meet him. It should only be a few hours, tops. Can you stay here on your own for a bit?” Ravi cringed, shoulders slumped and mouth pinched in frustration.

“Sure,” I heard myself say before I thought of anything else. Maybe that would give me more time to figure out what I wanted to say and build up my walls to make sure I didn't get hurt by their words.

They gave a collective sigh, which would be incredibly cute if I wasn't battling other larger feelings about them. I just wished I could find something that would confirm my thoughts before I did anything drastic.

Ravi and Roux wore hats, masks in their hands, ready to go out. All of them would be gone at once. Glancing back up at their rooms, a thought entered my head, but I couldn't start to execute it until they were gone.

“Don’t worry about me. I'm fine. You don’t have anything being delivered while you’re gone, right?” They looked around at each other, shaking their heads, and I smiled. “See? Nothing to worry about.”

All of them grumbled but shuffled toward the door. Ravi burst forward, circling his arms around me, clutching me so hard I could barely breathe. His normal jovial voice turned sad and full of longing. “I miss you already, Rin. We’ll keep this nonsense as short as possible.”

For just a blip of a second, my stomach knotted as he squeezed so tightly. Was I making the right choice? His warm grip felt so true, so strong. I leaned into him, finding it hard to be mad at him in this moment when he was so ardent.

Roux circled his arms around the both of us, mumbling next to my ear, “Be back soon.”

I patted them both, my voice running dry. It didn’t matter since I couldn’t figure out what to say back anyway. They detangled themselves from me, stomping toward the door like children that didn't want to leave but were being forced to.

Biting my lip, my emotions warred. Was I only going to make this all worse if I broke their trust? Should I give them the opportunity to explain themselves first?

A calloused hand cupped my cheek, bringing my attention up to Rion. He stared down at me, assessing me in a cold, detached manner. A chill ran up my spine, and for once I was not met with a kind, tender gaze. This time, he pinned me down with it. “We won't be gone long. Please don't open the door for anyone, just in case.”

Leaning down, he whispered in my ear, “We’ll talk about what’s bothering you when we get back.”

I stiffened, and his hand clenched my jaw as his eyes watched mine like a hawk. I could see his mind already working on the possible reasons for my reactions and how he was going to countermove. I wasn't looking into the eyes of the man I had met recently. These were the eyes of the young boy who’d threatened another with a knife to the throat, always ready to take it to the next level as long as he knew he would win. Somehow, I’d forgotten about that boy, but I remembered him now.

Even though my body trembled, I smiled brightly, trying to convince him and myself that everything would be fine. I cupped his hand in return and gently tugged it closer so I could kiss his palm. “I will be here, waiting.”

His eyes widened for a second, like he hadn’t expected me to make that move, then he did something equally as confusing. Stepping forward until our bodies touched, he rested his forehead on mine, inhaling like he was breathing me in. His eyes closed, and a soft smile graced his lips.

He was only like that for a few seconds before he let me go and turned away, leaving me stunned. He didn't need to say the words. I knew from his touch what he was trying to tell me—sorry and thank you all in one. He was trying to be better, more, for me, but as soon as that door clicked and the silence of the house took over, his words from last night rang in my head.

Going to the window, I played my part, smiling and waving to them in their blacked-out car, knowing they were watching me before they left through the gate. As soon as they were gone, I turned around and looked at the space in silence.

They were hiding something from me. I’d always felt it and kept burying it, but now I needed to acknowledge it. That dark voice, the one that kept me in despair but also alive, crawled forward. You need protection. You need leverage. Find what they’re hiding.

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