Page 11 of Soulmates

“Somehow, I took something. I don’t know what. But I took it from you. Right? That was the task. But you said, ‘Just take it.’ What did you mean? What was it? And why did you suddenly want to kill me?”

“Need,” Jake gritted out through his teeth.

“What?”

“I needed to kill you. Had to.” Jake’s eyes glistened in the moonlight, dark and wild, before his tears splashed down onto Maddox’s own cheeks.

“Okay, just let me think. Don’t move. Just. Stay there.”

Jake collapsed at that, lying heavier on Maddox, who shifted in an attempt to free his diaphragm from under Jake’s weight. Jake froze, his eyes suddenly hooded as he stared at Maddox with a look Maddox had never seen before. Given that Jake’s behavior tonight had been nothing short of actual insanity, Maddox hesitated to describe it as heat or desire, but that was definitely what it looked like.

“Jake…what did you want me to take?”

No response.

“You said to take it. What was it? What did you have me take?”

“I can’t, Maddy. I can’t.” Jake began to get up, but Maddox shrieked for him to hold the fuck still. It had to be something to do with the bodily contact. Jake’s skin was burning hot against his throat. Why?

“Okay, okay, just don’t move.” Maddox took a breath. “You told me to take something. You gave me something.” And what the fuck was with the fireflies? And the light bending toward Jake. He turned the events of the evening over and over. “What did you give me.”

Chapter 11

Maddox hadn’t asked a question. He’d made a demand. What did you give me.

Jake’s entire body shook. Or was that Maddox’s? Exhaustion dragged at him, and he let his head fall next to Maddox’s, their cheeks pressed together. The ground was cold and damp under his forehead. He moved just slightly to the side so Maddox could breathe. He didn’t dare go farther away. Maddox was definitely on the right track with the contact thing.

“I’m so sorry, Maddy.”

“Fucking be sorry later. Tell me what you did.”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Obviously.” Now Maddox was the one to sound flat.

“I l-love you.”

“I know that, Jake. I love you too. We can work out the groveling later. I just need to know—”

“No, I mean, I’m in love with you.”

Silence. For a long moment, Jake held his breath.

“Jake…you’ve been acting crazy all night. You can’t just say that.”

“No, Maddy,” he whispered. “You don’t understand. That’s what I gave you.” Jake’s mouth was so close to Maddox’s ear that he knew every syllable and every hitched breath could be heard.

“I knew when I read the task, ‘You have something tied to your truest self that belongs to them.’ I knew you were my deepest bond. And I knew—and I know—what I had that was actually yours.” He lifted his head to stare into the bewildered eyes of the man he had loved forever.

“Jake…”

“Look, this is not at all how I wanted you to find out. I wanted to tell you when we got home and I had time to explain and we’d be living together and I could maybe be able to tell if you loved me too.”

Maddox took a slow breath through his nose. “Let’s say this is true, which it isn’t and can’t be. What would that have to do with giving me something? What thing? I don’t have anything.”

“I knew what it was. It felt like this task was forcing it out of me. That I had to tell you and give it to you. It’s me. The first thing I thought when I read it is that I belong to you. Everything about me belongs to you. My life, my body, my heart, my soul. Gods, Maddy. I have loved you my entire life. Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Because I would know!” Maddox shouted, and Jake started to get up. “Fuck, stop. Do not move.”

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