Page 9 of Three for a Girl

He melted into Romeo’s heat. “Yeah, Monday.”

Romeo didn’t say anything. The silence lingered, the fizzling anxiety built in Chad’s chest and he bit his cheek, not knowing how to end it.

“Back to catching the vermin of the world, Detective.”

Chad frowned at his choice of words. “I’m Chad with you, only Chad. How do you feel about it?”

“You going back to work?”

“Yeah.”

Another long pause followed.

“Romeo?”

He nuzzled Chad’s neck. “It’s what you want right, what youneed?”

Chad swallowed and nodded.

“I want you to be happy, all of you, and if you think it will make you happy…”

“I do.” The words came out soft, and he tried again. “I do, it’s what I need, but I’ll be going after killers again.”

Romeo took a deep breath. “I know.”

“Maybe killers like you. Ones born with a…”

“A monster. I know that, too.”

Chad exhaled a shaky breath. “All we’ve been through, and this—this is what terrifies me, but I need to do it. I need to feel normal again.”

“Normal.” Romeo snorted.

“A semblance of it at least.”

“What if you can’t?”

“I will. I have to.”

“Why?”

Chad looked down, frowning. He didn’t try to touch Romeo’s hands, but he looked at them pressed to his stomach. They didn’t look so bad now they’d stopped bleeding.

“How are your hands?”

Romeo sighed. “They’re fine, just numb.”

Chad took a few minutes to enjoy Romeo’s hands on him, holding him steady, covering some of the numbers.

“I just … don’t know how to help you.”

“There’s only one thing that’ll help.”

Chad stiffened and didn’t ask what, he didn’t need to ask. He’d seen the need in Romeo’s eyes multiple times, the monster that pushed forward, demanding Chad take notice.

Each time Chad averted his gaze, rejecting its wishes. It was the first time Romeo had spoken about it, the first time he’d tried to plant a seed with his voice instead of his eyes.

Chad didn’t react, and Romeo lay another kiss on his neck.

---