Page 60 of Unbreak Me

"That’s a relief," Jan muttered. "But, for example, if a recording of you checking the disk ever needed wiping, you remember Archer’s a hacker—he could handle it."

Frank laughed. "Ah, yes. Good old Archer. But no need. There aren’t any cameras in the IT department. Honestly, it’s like the universe lined everything up for this moment. That disk sat there for years, just waiting for someone to find it."

"Fate works in mysterious ways," Jan muttered, shaking his head with a half-smile.

Then his hand found its way to my back, resting there as if he were silently claiming me in front of his uncle, and it felt… good.

Frank noticed it, his eyes twinkling a little as he sat down at the table. "I see you’re finishing dinner! I hope you won’t turn down an old man’s request for a bite," he said with a mischievous grin.

Jan rolled his eyes again, but soon enough, the three of us were eating together.

Strangely, it felt good—cheerful even—despite the sensitive matter we’d just discussed. Being part of this family, a newfamily, was… different. A welcome shift from the energy of my old life.

That evening, we all sat on the terrace, enjoying the gentle night breeze. Our conversation stayed light and easy, avoiding heavy topics.

We chatted about the farm, Uncle Frank’s long-ago love life, and stories about Jan’s brothers. It was a calm, serene moment, and I found myself savoring the simplicity of it all as the starry sky stretched endlessly above us.

"You know, I once wanted to be an astronomer," Frank said suddenly, breaking the silence of the night.

"Really?" Jan asked, glancing at him over the rim of his teacup, filled with red Rooibos tea. "I didn’t know that."

Frank gave a small shrug, his expression pensive. "Yeah. My father wasn’t thrilled about the idea, though. He always said betas had to aim for high-earning, practical careers. Hobbies were fine—but not for making a living."

His words hung in the air for a moment before he pointed upward. "Do you see it? That’s the Cygnus constellation."

"Cygnus… doesn’t it mean ‘swan’ in Latin?" Jan asked, leaning back slightly to follow Frank’s gesture.

His uncle nodded. "It does. In mythology, it’s connected to several different legendary swans."

"I love swans." Jan’s gaze was drifting across the sky. "At first, they’re gray and unremarkable, but they grow into something so beautiful and graceful." He paused, as if caught in a thought.

"They mate for life, don’t they?" I asked, as I too traced the twinkling outlines of constellations with my eyes.

"Yeah, they do," Jan said softly, his voice having a tender note. For a brief moment, his eyes met mine, and something unspoken passed between us.

The silence that followed was comfortable, like a warm blanket wrapping around all of us.

We sat there, our heads tilted upward, lost in the infinite expanse of stars.

Then I felt Jan’s hand slip into mine, his fingers intertwining with a gentle squeeze.

In that moment, everything just felt right. No big confessions—just this quiet happiness in my chest, simple and easy. I smiled to myself, holding onto that feeling as tight as I held his hand.

JAN

That night, after Uncle Frank left, Day and I slept in the same bed for the first time—mine, to be exact. We kissed for a while, slow and unhurried, tasting each other. I peppered his face with soft kisses, and he breathed deeply, like it was some kind of healing process. I let it go on until he looked ready to rest. Moments later, we both fell into the kind of deep, peaceful sleep I hadn’t had in ages.

I didn’t feel any need to rush what was building between us. Day also didn’t bring up the topic of sex; we just left it kinda in the ‘open’ space.

The next day was sunny, and for the first time, Day agreed to go swimming with me at the pond.

We went around noon, when the water was the warmest. Day stripped down to his swim trunks, and I’ll admit, seeing his body stirred up feelings I’d been holding back. I had to quickly dive into the water up to my waist before anything showed.

He let his hair down, even though it was probably uncomfortable for swimming. It fell in soft brown waves over his shoulders and almost to his waist. Day was so svelte, with a very narrow waist that gave him that willowy aura, but his small butt was pleasantly rounded—it was likely the roundest part of his body.

As he stepped into the water, he crossed his arms over his chest like he was embarrassed.

I smirked and swam closer, gently pulling his hands away. "Don’t hide them, please. They’re beautiful."

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