Page 9 of Carry Your Debt

So Idouble dog dareJackson Sebastian Grayson to try stoic-ing his way out of this easy chemistry—the evidence of which is currently pooling on the counter below me, despite Dio’s best efforts to dam the flow with his fingers.

Which definitely shouldn’t have been as much of a turn-on as it was.

“Whatever you call being party to some of my deepest fantasies come to life,” I shrug, purposefully ignoring the furrowed brows aimed at the side of my head. I settle my weight back onto my palm instead.

“Two men, together?Check,” I drawl, emphasizing with a languid air tick against my imaginary list. “Butyoutwo, together? That’sextracredit.”

Dio sweeps the two of us an appropriately sarcastic half-bow before sidestepping to the sink to finish cleaning up. “You’re welcome,” he shoots back over one shoulder as the tap flicks on.

Such a cocky motherfucker. But it’s a sickening good look on him.

And now I’m wondering why he’s never mentioned the two of them having a thing before today.

“Sooo…Exactly how long have you guys been hooking up?” I ask, all super casual-like. I’ll never admit it, but Imaybe slightly more jealous that they didn’t share this with me than I am annoyed that I apparently missed all the signs.

“Oh, about thirty minutes, give or take,” is D's deadpan answer as he flicks droplets of water in my direction. All while still completely nonplussed, as per the Orbison playbook.

My jaw unhinges.

Zeus, on the other hand, spins and paces directly away from us, only stopping when he reaches the threshold of the livingarea. The only view I have right now is the back of his head, but it’s safe to assume, with the way his shoulders roll back, that he’s busy tugging his armor back into place.

My first thought is he must be having a harder time processing their brand new dynamic than I initially thought, given how natural it seemed. They’ve been best friends and Crew partners for years, so I’m curious if it’s something he was even aware was brewing—or if it came completely out of left field for him as it did for me.

But then he turns and it’smehe pins with a challenging look, not our Enforcer. My spine immediately straightens when I see his pinched expression.

“That’s all it was, then? Some sort of erotic wish fulfillment?” Zeus grates out, skating right on past D’s little reveal.

I blink, and a small line forms between my brows.

I know that somewhere beneath the thorny, sarcastic exterior exists a small part of my heart—as withered and emotionally stunted as it is—that’s always carried a sort of pseudo-torch for the man standing directly in front of me.

A very muchunrequitedpseudo-torch, but a tiny, naked flame nonetheless.

So, to have him be the one to initiate all this? Even if all that eventuates from this little hook-up was just casual sex going forward? My younger teen self would be absolutelycrowingright now.

Is it too soon to be updating our status toIt’s Complicated?

Zeus’s gaze is becoming more and more a searing touch the longer it holds mine. Although he’s normally so careful to guard his thoughts around us, it seems, for this moment at least, he mightactuallybe opening up and allowing some of them to play out across his face.

What they arenotsaying is:That was just casual sex.

What theyaresaying is:This was more.

And with my deeply buried crush, I should be feeling fuckingecstaticright now.

But the problem ismorerequires…communication.

It requires empathy. Partnership. Giving, and not justtaking.

It requires—no,demands—vulnerability.

All thingsIcan't give him.

After all, the only committed relationship I’ve ever been in is with my ill-gotten Xanax prescription.

No. Zeus’s been fighting so hard and sheltering us for so long, and when this is all over, he deserves to find someone whocangive him all those things.

Theybothdo.

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