Page 77 of The Outcast
“Are you going to tell him that you aren’t really gay?”
Thor smiled. “Eventually, but not today.”
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CHAPTER 27
Don’t Disturb
Sparrow
The number of people who wanted to make sure that I felt better left me with no time to be alone with Banni. After we had exchanged words of love in the hospital, I couldn’t stop thinking about what that all meant.
An Nman would have proposed to me for sure after such declarations of love, but Banni wasn’t born here and he didn’t follow standard norms. I was dying for us to declare to everyone around us that we loved each other, but then there were Freya’s words of caution playing in the back of my mind.
Would our cultural differences be too large for us to overcome?
I thought about Belle and Mason, who seemed so happy together, and decided that a relationship with Banni wasn’t impossible. What I couldn’t figure out was how to find a practical way for us to make it work between us.
While Athena and Linea did their last healing session on me, I thought about Banni with a profound longing in my body that I’d never experienced before. Why was it that he affected me the way he did? Why did his faint accent and that sexy smile of his make me lose my mind with arousal?
I decided that it was much more than just the physical attraction that drew me to him. Banni was different and exciting. He was a leader and exerted a calm authority in a non-violent way. I never heard him brag or show off his masculine power. Banni was eager to learn, and asked questions. He expressed himself freely and didn’t hesitate to compliment me and others. He was kind but with a wicked sense of humor. And then there was his sexual confidence, which was exhilarating. Banni hadn’t thrown around lifeless sex-bots since he was a teenager like the Nmen. He had trained his skills on real women and although I hated the idea of Banni with anyone else, I was smart enough to know that his expertise would work out to my advantage in bed.
Absorbed in thoughts of the man I was in love with, I hardly noticed Linea and Athena moving their hands over my body.
Memories of seeing Banni in the hospital made emotions overwhelm me for a moment. He was inexperienced when it came to love or relationships, but he hadn’t hesitated to jump into an ice-cold lake to save my life when it mattered. In that hospital room, Banni’s grief-stricken face had spoken of love and devotion before he even uttered a word to me.
Once Linea and Athena were done with their healing, my parents and brothers stood ready to see me. Then came Christina and her daughter Lara, followed by Freya, Pearl, Laura, and lastly Belle, who was kind enough to bring me her homemade crepes for lunch.
Every time a door opened, I hoped to see Banni enter. Whenever his name came up in conversation, I paid extra attention. I learned from Freya and Belle that Thor and Mason had left with Banni three hours ago to go to a soccer game.
“Thor and Mason thought it would be fun for Banni to see a game. It’s Hunter’s last season playing for the Dragons,” Freya explained.
I did my best to smile and be present with my visitors, but in reality, my heart was screaming for Banni to storm through the door and declare to everyone that we belonged together.
“When will they be back?” I asked.
“Soon.” Freya checked her wristband. “Oh, looks like they already returned. I see Mason and Thor here in the Mansion. Banni isn’t on my tracker.”
When Belle and Freya set out to find the men, I told them that I needed a nap anyway. But instead of staying in my room, I snuck down a hallway to knock on Banni’s door. The burn wounds on my feet were healing, but it still hurt to walk. In the end all the pain was for nothing since Banni didn’t answer. With disappointment I moved back to my room. My hand was on the wall for support and every step made me flinch a little.
When I turned the corner to the corridor where my room was located, I stopped when I saw Banni knocking on my door.
“There you are,” I exclaimed. “I was looking for you.”
Banni gave me a concerned glance, “Why are you walking around? Are your feet healed yet?”
“Not entirely, but I wanted to see you.”
He walked fast toward me. “The same, but Thor brought me to a fight club to train and after that we went to see a soccer match with Mason.”
“Did you get beaten up at the fight club?” I asked and smiled when he bent down and picked me up in his arms.
Walking us back to my room, he returned my smile. “Not as much as you might think. My training with Aubri and Indiana has paid off.” By the time we reached my door, he asked, “Do you mind if I come into your room?”
“I would like that.”
Once we were inside and Banni had placed me back on my bed, he walked around as if searching for something.
