Page 172 of Amethyst and Iron
And that Lazriel had also needed me to get it all out.
“I take it back,” Lazriel spoke softly, and I looked to see emotion welling in his eyes, as he started stroking my skin.
Cassius came over then and fondled my hair. “Do the circumstances actually matter when the sentiment is just and true?” He smiled. “Having something so powerful like that to hold onto through awful, straining circumstances would seem like the perfect salve, hmm?”
“The goal to life is happiness. To see and feel beyond the pain that’s afflicted us. It doesn’t just feel good, it sticks it to those who’ve harmed us and tried to keep us in that pained state,”Lazriel uttered, quoting himself from many weeks ago when he’d encouraged me to try to adopt his philosophy of enjoying and reveling in things, rather than remaining in the pain and trauma.
I beamed out at the both of them.
They were amazing.
I sank into Lazriel’s chest and grasped Cassius’ arm, taking him with me, and they both wrapped themselves around me. “I’m sorry,” I murmured into Lazriel’s tank.
“It’s all okay,” he said, stroking my hair. “I’m sorry too. I came in way too hot.”
“No, I get why you did.”
“So volatile when you love so deeply,” Cassius chuckled against us.
A thud sounded and I pulled from Lazriel, all of us swinging our heads toward the kitchen entrance as Ketheron scanned us rapidly. “What has happened? I heard yelling through my dream.”
I winced. “It was me. I just got a little upset. I’m so sorry I woke you.”
“I don’t care about that. I’m not even tired, but Cassius insisted I sleep.”
“Your mind needs time to heal through sleep, more so than normal after what you experienced today,” Cassius told him.
Ketheron was too focused to pay that any mind, and asked me, “Are you well now? Do you still hurt?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“It’s all good, Keth,” Lazriel reinforced. “Just a little dust up.”
Ketheron frowned. “A relationship disagreement borne from all the stress of late?”
“Right,” Lazriel confirmed. “That sums it up really well.”
“Well, that book you bought for Cassius is rather useful for these matters.”
Lazriel grinned at Cassius. “You actually unwrapped it? Does that mean you read it, too?”
Cassius sighed. “Yes. Try not to make a meal out of it.”
“A meal out of it? Damn, you’re starting to sound like me.”
I chuckled. The look on Lazriel’s face… he enjoyed that immensely.
“Hades help me,” Cassius said with a good-natured grin at Lazriel.
A sharp ringing cut through the levity and it took me a moment to realize that it was my phone.
I stepped back from the guys and pulled it from the pocket of my leather pants to see that it was Nyx calling.
I frowned. Nyx was much more of a texter than a caller. At least that was how our friendship had been.
“One second,” I told the guys, walking to the other side of the kitchen, and answering.
“Hey. Did we forget something for the proposal?”
