Page 46 of Orange Spell
Birch shrugged.”I didn’t think it was my place.I wasn’t sure you had feelings for him, although I suspected that you did.”
“I do.This isn’t how I wanted things to happen between us, but then, I didn’t think anything would happen between us.”
“Yet it did.”Birch shook his head.“I still can’t believe my baby brother is going to be a dad.”
“And he’s going to be a good dad.”
“I know.It just made me realize that he’s not as little as I always think him to be.”
Marlin couldn’t stop thinking about Birch’s words, even after the conversation moved along.He’d hoped that Curran had feelings for him, but with everything that had happened, he’d lost that hope for a bit.Curran had insisted that the two of them weren’t together every time he told people that he was pregnant and that Marlin was the other father.Marlin had believed that meant that Curran didn’t want him the way he wanted Curran, even though they’d grown closer.He’d hoped that, in time, Curran would fall for him.
Apparently, he’d fallen a long time ago.
* * * *
CURRAN HAD NEVER HADa lot of friends.He’d been fine with that, and he still was.The problem was that he was forced to avoid the few friends he did have, andthat, he hated.
He’d thought he was done with that after he’d had to reveal that he was pregnant, but no.Here he was, sitting alone at a table in the dining hall, wishing Deryn or any of the other people he was close to could sit with him.Instead, he had to eat alone to show Pearl that he didn’t have a support system.Hopefully, that way, she’d believe that he was looking at her to keep him safe.If he didn’t have a support system, he’d reach out to her when he needed help.
All of that made him want to look for her and stab her with his fork.Unfortunately, that wouldn’t help with their plan, so instead, he had to stay where he was, glaring at the plate in front of him and imagining that the mashed potatoes were Pearl’s head as he angrily smashed them against the plate.
He was relieved when he finally left the dining hall.He didn’t waste time, rushing back to the rooms he shared with his mothers.He could swear he could feel someone watching him, and he hated that, too.He wanted to go back to a normal life.Was that too much to ask?Apparently, it was.
He slammed the door shut once he was back home and leaned against it to breathe.The apartment was silent, so he didn’t think his mothers were home.
Marlin was.
Curran blinked at him.“What are you doing here?”
“Hello to you too,” Marlin said with a smile as he got up from the couch.
Curran found himself moving without thinking about it.Anytime Marlin was in the same room, Curran wanted to be close to him.It wasn’t a conscious thought, just something he needed.He was disgustingly in love with that dragon, dammit.
Marlin’s smile when he hugged Curran was everything.“I wanted to see you.”
“Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“I have to go back.I was sent to pick up some food and decided to take a break at the same time.”
“Do my brother and Killian know that?”
“Of course they do.”
It was weird to think about all of that.Curran had hidden his feelings for many years.Hell, in a way, he was still hiding them.He hadn’t told Marlin how much he loved him or how long he’d been in love with him.He wasn’t sure he ever would.It didn’t matter, anyway.He was getting what he’d wanted all along—he and Marlin were growing closer, and soon, they’d be a family of three.
Marlin leaned down to kiss Curran.Every time he did that, it still stunned Curran.If anyone had told him a year ago—hell, even a month ago—that Marlin would be kissing him like they were together, he wouldn’t have believed them.He wouldn’t have dared hope.
Yet here they were.
Marlin slipped his tongue into Curran’s mouth.Curran hung on, his mind and body feeling like he was about to fly away.Thatwas how Marlin made him feel.
He could have all of this for the rest of his life.He knew they had to talk, and for the first time, he was eager to have that conversation.He just wished he didn’t have to deal with the Pearl mess, too.Maybe once she was dealt with, he and Marlin could finally sit down and decide what was next for them.He wasn’t sure they’d have a lot of time.The baby wasn’t going to wait until Pearl was done with whatever she was doing, after all.
“I’m glad I decided to come by,” Marlin murmured as he leaned back.
Curran swayed closer.He wanted more, but Marlin had to get back to work.“I’m glad you did, too.It was a nice surprise.”
He noticed Marlin hesitate and wondered what it was about.He didn’t ask because he was sure that Marlin would tell him if he wanted to.
