Page 113 of Until the Day You're Mine

Being with Harris Kelly would have been an absolute nightmare for him. He hopes to be able to help him heal from that experience and never fear for his safety and autonomy ever again.

Ty quietly murmurs in Rian’s hair, “I’ve loved you it feels my entire life. I’ve wanted you so badly for so many years. I never dared to imagine what it would be like to be yours.”

Rian stills and Ty can see his hands moving over his face, wiping at his tears. After a moment he goes on, “I tried tobewith other men. But I just couldn’t go through with it. I tried to flush you out of my system, but it didn’t feel right…anyone other than you touching me. It was you or no one.”

Rian lifts himself on his elbow, looking at him with sadness in his eyes. Ty cups his face and kisses him softly. “I didn’t want to lose you. I was scared that if I told you how I felt, and you didn’t want to be with me, my admission would ruin everything. You guys were my family. I wanted to be in your life for as long as I could in any capacity you would have allowed me to be. I couldn’t imagine living without you, and now, I know for a fact, that I would rather be dead than lose you again.”

Rian steals another languid kiss from Tayida.

“It didn’t work, did it? You couldn’t get me out of your head, just like I never stopped thinking about you.”

“No.” Ty chuckles. “I was too far gone, pining over my siren.”

“Siren?”

“It’s the first word that popped into my mind when I met you. You were unreal and so beautiful to me. Like a creature out of a fairy tale. Cyril had told me how much you loved swimming. Every time Cy spoke of you, for some reason I imagined you underwater. You were this faceless happy creature, parting the waves in a flurry of bubbles. When we finally met, my mind immediately took me back to those images, filling in the blanks. You were my siren.”

Ty kisses Ri’s trembling lips. “My beautiful siren.” His admission is honest, and Rian is clearly very emotional over it. It feels fucking amazing to be able to say this stuff out loud. To be able to tell Rian how he feels about him without being afraid or overthinking the consequences of his words.

Rian drapes his arms around Ty’s neck, pulling him closer, melting against Ty’s chest.

Where he belongs.

“You are the love of my life,” Ty mutters in between kisses. “There is nothing out there for me without you. You’re my everything, Rian.”

“My beloved, my air, my future, my all,” Ri whispers in between softly kissing Ty back.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

Rian, Ri, Ree-ahn

SEPTEMBER 2022

Ty has been out for the last hour, getting in touch with Sullivan. After the newscast from a few days ago, it was imperative they regroup and think about what their next move should be.

Rian is equally scared of what’s to come and elated with the time he has spent with Ty.

He is so in love with this man, even his years-long crush on Tayida doesn’t do his current feelings for him justice.

Bran is in his play cot, pulling himself up, fingers sticking through the mesh, standing on wobbly legs, itching to make his escape. Rian chuckles at the sight of his feisty son. He puts away the last plate in the dishwasher and dries his hands, then moves to unleash his little munchkin.

As soon as he is by the edge of the cot, Bran is reaching for him, and Rian leans low, giving him a kiss on the nose and picking him up.

“Aaahhh freedom.” He is playfully teasing his little boy, tickling him gently under the chin with his index finger. His son giggles, his laughter like the sound of bells ringing all around them.

Rian looks around the small kitchen. He knows their short stroll to the beach yesterday wasn’t exactly the brightest idea, but he hates being locked up in this rental. Bran is also longingly looking through the terrace doors, craving the ocean. He loves the water as much as his daddy. Rian thinks he should sign Bran up for swimming lessons when they go back home.

Then it hits him hard – they really have no home anymore and going back could mean losing his son for good. He holds his child a little bit tighter, as the fearful thoughts swirling in his head are not without merit. But he can’t allow them to take hold of his faculties. He can’t afford to panic and make mistakes.

Rian walks to the windows and peeks through the shades just in time to see Ty approaching, dragging a multitude of shopping bags. Ri chuckles at the hilarious sight as this man clearly refuses to do more than one trip from their rental car to the front door. He’s carrying in his well-defined muscular arms easily the equivalent of two Costco shopping carts.

His laughter fades as his eyes land on Ty’s face. He doesn’t look happy at all and that makes Rian even more worried. Ri is by the door when Ty steps hastily inside, dropping the bags on the floor with a loud exaggerated groan for the mere purpose to get a laugh out of Bran. He gets it and once the smile is back on his face, he turns his attention to Ri, who is chewing on his lip, not wanting to immediately bombard his lover with questions, but he can’t pretend he isn’t dying to know what is going on.

Ty soothes some of his worries away by reaching for him and Bran, tenderly embracing them. He nuzzles his face into the short locks of Rian’s hair, making him smile and blush. It’s not that he is insecure about his looks, but it has been years since someone has shown him this type of attention.

Sure,it’s just hair.But…it is like accepting he is no longer the man he used to be. And to know Ty loves the person he is becoming is even more overwhelming and touching than simply being told,you look the same, orit will grow out.

His beloved murmurs in his ear, “Coming home to you is a dream come true. I love you both so much.”

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