Page 21 of Captured in Love
Raphaël stalks to the bed and sits heavily on the corner. “Did you kiss him back?”
Flustered, I push a strand of loose hair back from my face. “Yes.”
Levi’s eyebrows shoot up. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” I yell. “Because there’s something about him…”
I bite my tongue. Since I have no idea how to explain Isak even to myself, there’s no use trying to do it in front of these two men. A niggle of guilt returns, the nasty voice in my head telling me I shouldn’t be greedy. I already have two men in my life. Why do I need a third?
“Do you love him?” Raphaël asks quietly.
I glance at him, shocked by the question. “No! I barely know him.”
His long-fingered hand twitches on his knee, the only movement in his supernaturally still body. “But you could love him if you got to know him.”
I want to deny it outright. It’s impossible to have a heart divided in three, isn’t it? But there’s only one truthful answer I can give him. “I don’t know. I never even thought I could love two men, but here we are.”
Silence descends on the room, thick as molasses. Raphaël stares at his hands, and Levi blinks in surprise. Heat rises up my neck, my throat closing up. Embarrassment floods through me, sharp and painful, as neither of them says anything back. It’s just like me to blurt out things I haven’t thought through, in the worst possible moment, after I’ve admitted to kissing another man.
I whirl around and head to the bathroom. “Okay, so if we’re done discussing this, we should go. Isak has a head start, and I want to dive down there before we lose all the afternoon light.”
“Nora…” Levi says.
I don’t stop. I escape into the bathroom and shut the door behind me, then turn on the tap to drown out any noise. Having a vampire boyfriend with super-sharp sensesreallysucks sometimes. If they talk while I’m in there, I don’t hear them over the sound of the running water.
Taking a moment to compose myself, I splash some water on my heated face, even though I’ll soon be submerged under the cold sea. This didnotgo as planned. Not that I had a plan to make the confession any less awkward, but I definitely didn’t anticipate telling Levi and Raphaël that I love both of them. I should have addedequally, too. I don’t even know what’s worse—that they both froze up like deer in the headlights, or that I hinted at the possibility that I could fall for a third guy.
Groaning, I scrub my face with the fluffy towel that smells like lavender. I should have doused myself with essential oils to confuse Raphaël’s sensitive nose. Then I could have told them on my own terms.
You’ll know for next time.
No! There will be no next time!
I stare at my reflection, wondering if my craziness is showing on the outside, but nope, I look perfectly normal, if tired.
Finally, I can’t stall anymore. We need to go, and hiding in the bathroom won’t help. I fling the door open and find the guys staring at me. Levi sits in an armchair, finishing the remains of my lunch, and Raphaël is still on the bed, his elbows on his knees.
“Okay, let’s go,” I say in what I hope is my badass boss voice.
“Nora, we should talk first,” Levi says, wiping his fingers on a cloth napkin.
I shake my head. “Nothing to talk about. Can we just go?”
I hate that a pleading note enters my words, and I look anywhere but at them.
Levi stands and walks toward me. I grit my teeth, preparing myself for whatever he might do, but he just puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes lightly. It’s a supportive gesture, and tears well in my eyes. Even though we’ve become lovers, he’s still my best friend, and this is something I’d hate to screw up.
I touch his hand and squeeze back, blinking away the tears. Levi sighs and pulls me into a hug as if he knows exactly what I need without even asking. I bury my face in his chest and hold on, and he wraps his strong arms around me.
When we break apart, I quickly swipe my fingers under my eyes, then take a deep breath and face Raphaël.
“I’m sorry you feel the way you do about Isak,” I say quietly. “I don’t know what’s happening there, but I want to find out more. I hope that’s okay with you.”
I’m not going to say I’ll stay away from Isak, because that would be a lie. He’s one big riddle wrapped in a gorgeous package, and I’ve never met a mystery I didn’t want to solve. The last thing I want to do is hurt Raphaël or Levi, but the pull I feel toward Isak is more than just usual attraction.
Raphaël pushes his hand through his black curls, a frustrated scowl on his beautiful face. “I just want to know what his deal is,” he explodes. “He pops up at weird moments, like he’s stalking you, andhelpsus, but he’s also still competing and not dropping out.”
“I get that,” I tell him. “There are things about him that don’t add up. Like his resistance to my taser spell. I hit him with everything I had today, and he barely even swayed. That’s not normal.”
