Page 28 of Fractured Constellations
CHASE
It’s the worst kind of pain, watching Luna sob in my brothers’ arms and knowing that there is nothing I can do to fix this for her. No amount of money will make it disappear. Sure, we can help, and I intend to do just that. I’ve already ordered her a custom compound multivitamin that’s specifically formulated for patients undergoing BMT, and I’ve got medical-grade protein shakes on the way, plus a specialized electrolyte formulation for hydration. I’ve contacted several specialists who are experts in their field to see if they’ll take her case on, and we’ll be paying all her medical bills personally out of our funds. Our Mom made sure we had our own funds before she passed, and I’ve never been more grateful for it because I would hate to have to go cap in hand to Father, begging. I’d do it, for her, but it wouldn’t be something I’d enjoy. I like my independence andneed control too much. Plus, the thought of anyone else having any kind of control over her treatment makes my teeth grind.
But it might not be enough, because the thing about cancer? It doesn’t give a shit how much money you have, or what kind of resources. Sometimes it just takes and takes, and there’s not a thing you can do about it.
Soon her sobs subside, and she slumps into my brother, her eyes closed and her breathing evening out as she falls asleep in his arms. No words are exchanged between Thorn and Blade as they maneuver her so that she’s lying down between them.
Getting up carefully so as not to jostle her, I walk over and dim the lights, intending to head to my room to finish my plans for her medication regimen.
“Stay, Chase, please?” her soft voice floats towards me, and I turn to find her looking at me over Blade’s huge shoulder.
“There’s no room, Star,” I tell her, my soul screaming at me to lie at her feet if it means we get to stay.
Her brows furrow, then lift as a small, sleepy smile lights up her face. “Scooch over, Papa Bear,” she instructs Blade, who doesn’t even protest the ridiculous name.
She indicates the space now between her and Blade, and with a lightness that I really have no right to feel, I climb on the bed, clambering over my brother, who doesn’t even try to kidney punch me for stealing his space like I expect him to.
Once I’m settled on my back, she surprises me by climbing on top of me, resting her head on my chest, and draping her body over top of mine. One hand reaches out to pull Blade close, resting on his chest. The other encourages Thorn closer, and because it’s Thorn, he snuggles right into my side like when we were kids, tangling his legs with mine and Luna’s, his arm cuddling her to him.
She breathes a contented sigh, and I feel the tension leech from my body as we lie there, all snuggled together.
My arms wrap around her, my hands landing on her hips, and I can’t think of anywhere in the world I’d rather be. There are no worries as I drift off and let sleep overtake me. None of the usual thoughts that plague me and stop me from relaxing completely, even though I now have something to worry about.
Right now, in this bed, with my brothers beside me and Luna sleeping on top of me, I feel at peace, and I make a vow to not let anything or anyone take that away. I will fight tooth and nail to keep her here with us, and I will win.
Warmth surrounds me, the scent of vanilla and jasmine wrapped around me so tightly I don’t think I’ll ever get it out of my nose.
“Morning, Chase,” a soft voice whispers, and I blink open my eyes to find her, the source of the intoxicating scent and my stepsister, in bed next to me.
“Where are the others?” I ask, my brows dipping as I reach up and tuck a rogue curl behind her ear.
“I think they went downstairs for breakfast, maybe brunch? We slept late,” she tells me with a soft smile, and normally I would sweat a little at being so off my routine, but I find that I don’t mind. Not when it meant I got to spend hours by her side, even if we were both asleep.
Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door. “Luna love? Are you coming down for lunch?”
The sound of Lorelei’s voice has Luna’s eyes widening, her plush lips parting. It’s cute, she's so worried, makes me want tomess with her a little because I desire nothing more than to open the door and declare Luna as belonging to me and my brothers.
“I–I’m just getting ready, Mom. I’ll be down in a minute,” Luna answers, all while I look at her, holding back on all the things I want to do right now, only because I can see her rapid heartbeat in the pulse at her neck. I don’t give a shit if our parents find out. What can they do? We live together, and my brothers and I are all financially independent, so if Father did get stupid, we could just leave and find a place of our own with Luna. Maybe even move into Mom’s cottage.
I blink at that, the way my mind so casually came up with the solution of living with my new stepsister as if it’s not a big deal, moving in with the person you’re in a relationship with. Then again, with what she’s going through, and has gone through, the threat to her life…it explains my thoughts and feelings. It just makes a whole lot of sense that things are so intense. We don’t have time to waste, to mess around, and not dive into whatever this is between us.
Though we do have a lot to make up for. Our treatment of her when she arrived…it has me shivering and feeling nauseous.
“Okay, Luna love, see you downstairs,” Lorelei replies. “Oh, you haven’t seen Chase, have you? Richard is looking for him.”
Her cheeks flush as my lips tilt in a smile, and I open my mouth, just to tease her, but she slaps her hand over it.
“Um, nope, but if I do, I’ll let him know.” I chuckle, and her nostrils flare, her head shaking and wide eyes pleading with me not to make myself known to her mom.
“Thanks, love.”
Luna waits until we hear Lorelei’s footsteps fade completely before she removes her hand.
“She can’t know. About us, I mean.” She nibbles her bottom lip. “It’s just, she wouldn’t understand, and I?—”
I stop her with my lips on hers, my hand tangling in her hair and pulling her closer. The tension that filled her body when we heard her mom’s voice disappears as she melts into me, and fuck, it makes my morning wood ache to be inside her.
I’ve never been one for kissing much before because it never appealed to me, and sex was a way to expel excess testosterone. It was a necessity and something I enjoyed, but could go without if needed.
