Page 96 of Kiss-Fist
For a second, his eyes light up.
‘Our relationship is stronger than ever. He did doubt himself. He doubted whether or not he was worthy of me, but I made sure to show him—over and over, and then one more time this morning in the shower—that he’s worthy.’
His cheeks darken. ‘Shit?—’
‘I trust him. And I meant what I said. If you can’t give him a chance, then we can’t be friends.’
Moments pass—they feel like an eternity. Then his shoulders sag, and he gives me a barely there nod. ‘I understand.’
He doesn’t say anything else. Instead, he walks away. Something in my gut stings—a sharp, small, painful blow. I expected him to cave. Our relationship was mostly physical, but I did care about him, and right now, I hate him a little for putting me in the position like I have to choose between him and Thom.
There’s no question who the winner is, and by this point, he knows it.
My phone buzzes again a couple of seconds later, and I don’t bother looking. It’s Thom. He must be here. I forget all about Rome as I dart around the side of the house and jog toward the driveway.
Pressing a hand to my chest, I come to a skidding halt when I see Thom hovering at the side of the walkway, Rome in front of him. Neither of them is moving. Panic sets in, but I can’t seem to unstick my feet from where they’ve frozen to the grass.
I have to stop this. I can’t let Thom be shaken again.
I see Rome’s jaw move—he’s saying something aloud. Thom’s eyes narrow a little, but he nods stiffly. Then he turns his eyes just a little, and he sees me. He immediately goes soft all over, his face transforming the moment he realizes I’m there.
He’s comforted. I did that. Me. My presence makes him feel safe.
He raises a hand to wave, and Rome looks back at me, then at Thom, then at me one more time. There’s understanding in his face now. He jerks his chin up just a little, then shrugs and steps away.
I clear my throat and remember how to form the letters in my boyfriend’s name. “Thom!” I call, the sound vibrating against the back of my throat.
His smile widens, and suddenly, the distance between us has vanished, along with the rest of the world. For a moment, there’s only him. His perfect, warm, massive hands as they close over my hips and tug me close.
And then there’s his mouth—full and lush and tasting of mint as he dips in and pushes his tongue against mine. I swallow down one of his delicious moans and arch into him for as long as I know it’s safe.
Then we break apart, and he looks over his shoulder at the car Rome’s driving away. His face is back to worried—though not as badly as he’d looked before.
‘Rome was here before me?’ he signs between us.
I nod. ‘Yes.’ Thom bites his lip, and I quickly press my thumb against it, pulling it out so he doesn’t hurt himself. ‘What did he say to you?’
He takes a breath, then rubs his fist over his chest in a circle. It takes me a moment to realize he’s not saying sorry to me. That’s what Rome said to him.
‘That’s it?’
Thom nods. ‘He voiced it.’
I suppose I’m not really surprised he spoke aloud. For as much as Rome was the way he was, he always voiced for theboth of us when we went out. But I am surprised he did it with Thom. It doesn’t matter though.
‘I don’t think he’ll be around again.’ His trauma clearly runs deep, but I’m not the man who can help heal that for him. And I don’t want to be. My life is good now. It’s better than good. I have this sweet, damn near perfect man standing in front of me. I go up onto the balls of my feet, and Thom laughs, then hauls me in for another kiss.
He stiffens a moment later and looks over my shoulder, and I don’t need to ask to know that my siblings are in the doorway, making noises to get his attention.
“Brace yourself,” I warn him out loud.
He laughs, then kisses me one last time. ‘I’m not worried.’
He probably should be, but not for any of the reasons he can come up with. He’s in for an experience, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m at the right place, at the right time.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THOM
