Page 37 of The Jorogumo

"Haruto said you're going straight to your shop, so I got you some food."

I was not going to tear up over breakfast. Iwasn't.

"Thank you," I said, and if my voice came out a little choked, neither of them called me out on it.

I left quickly after that, but not before I gave Haruto a kiss, and Keoni a friendly half-hug.

It was only after I'd opened up the shop and settled behind the counter that I gave myself a moment to sort through my emotions.

Yesterday had been amazing from start to finish, and I'd loved falling asleep in Haruto's arms.

This was what I'd been looking for in all my relationships, in all the time I'd dated. I'd never had this kind of easy companionship before, this type of relationship that didn't hinge on sex.

I knew Haruto had enjoyed driving me crazy, that it'd pleased him to watch me come apart for him. I also knew Iwould never get to do that for him, and frankly, I was okay with that.

There were a lot of ways to show Haruto how I felt that didn't involve sex. All I needed was for him to be happy with me.

The bell above the door jingled, and I forced myself to focus on my work, pushing all thoughts of Haruto to the back of my mind, because it'd be impossible to push him completely out.

He texted me around lunch, and I spent my whole lunch break talking with him on the phone. Maybe I'd gotten too attached too quickly, but if that was the case, I wasn't the only one feeling that way.

As long as Haruto felt the same, I didn't mind being a little clingy.

Fourteen

Haruto

Two days later, Liamstayed the night again. And the day after that, I spent all day at his place, finally getting to see his apartment above the shop.

It was a small place, but I could see it was Liam's. He had a shelf full of comics, his personal collection, and it was easy to imagine it besides mine someday soon.

I stayed the night at his place, and while his bed wasn't as comfortable as my hammock, it was big, and I enjoyed spreading him out on it and feasting—somewhat literally—on him.

Now, a week since the first time he stayed over, I was all but ready to ask him to move in with me.

I knew I was going way, way too fast in human terms, but I couldn't help myself.

I was falling hard for Liam, and I wanted him around all the time. Judging by the way he hadn't once declined my offer to stay the night, I got the feeling he felt the same.

But still, I needed to talk to someone, and since there was only one human in the Sanctuary who'd moved here to be with his mate, I went to Dustin.

The headmaster had forbidden him from helping with the chores because of his pregnancy—mostly for the sake of Khush's sanity—so I found him sitting on a comfy-looking chair outside his cabin, Scrappy curled up in his lap. The cat glanced up when I approached, then tucked her head back in, apparently deciding I wasn't worth getting up for, even though she enjoyed spending time in my house.

"Hey, Haruto!" Dustin greeted cheerfully as I stopped in front of him, and I smiled.

"Hey, Dustin. How are you?"

He sighed the sigh of a man who was tired of answering that very question. "I'm good, the baby's good, Scrappy's good."

I snickered. "Sorry. I guess everyone's been asking you that, huh?"

"Yep. Every single day. I mean, don't get me wrong. I love everyone here, love how much they care about me, but I'm not really used to it, you know? I've been taking care of myself for so long, and now having all these people wanting to take care of me? It's strange. Good, but strange."

"I get that," I murmured, using some nearby trees as anchors to quickly whip up a seat for myself. "I didn't think I'd ever find someone who would understand and accept my boundaries completely, and yet."

Dustin smiled widely at my words. "I thought things were going well since he's here so often, but I'mglad to hear it."

My cheeks heated up at his words, and I cleared my throat. "Yes, we're very... compatible. I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

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