Page 66 of Touched By Destiny

“Have they mentioned anything to you guys?” Eric asked.

“No,” Richard replied. “But I’ve definitely caught a few looks between them when they figure out you’re gone. You know our family. They want to include you in everything, but you’renever around after dinner. At first, it was smiles. Like they knew you needed some air, or they were cool with you having sex with Gabriel.”

“But now it’s worried looks,” Maribeth finished. “They love Gabriel and are protective of him. I think they’re concerned about what happens when you two are done having sex.”

Richard leaned back to ensure no one was headed to the living room before he whispered, “Eric, they’d be so relieved to know you’re soulmates. Do something before destiny does.”

“Tell Gabriel that,” Eric said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take him to want our relationship public.”

“I’m scared they’re going to do an intervention,” Maribeth confided. “That one of these days, your folks are going to sit you down and want to have a frank discussion about the risks you’re taking in being involved with Gabriel. I think they’d encourage you to stop before you two get more emotionally involved.”

“I’m in love with him.”

“It was never a secret that you crushed hard on him,” Richard said. “But having dreams of being together is far different from having sex with the man. From their perspective, they’re going to constantly compare any relationship to having a soulmate. And neither of them wants you two to miss out on that. Relationships where the people involved aren’t soulmates are a minefield.”

“Right?” Maribeth added. “Like, would there always be a voice in your head wondering if your perfect match is waiting for you? It’s not like you can fuck around to find them after you’ve committed yourself to someone else.”

“But that’s not a problem here,” Eric commented.

“Of course not, but they don’t know that,” Richard countered. “They’re worrying about you guys unnecessarily. Things are good, right?”

Eric shrugged. “Mostly, but we’re stuck. I want more, but I can’t demand it. I have to respect his feelings.”

“And he has to respect yours,” Richard retorted. “It can’t hurt to remind him he’s a fucking Marwood. No one is going to freak out.”

“I don’t think he considers himself a Marwood,” Eric said.

“Well, he should,” Maribeth replied. “He’s our family. Everyone loves him. He’s the one always trying to put distance between us and him. Every time we move, the same argument bubbles up because no one wants him living alone. But Gabriel insists.”

Eric closed his eyes and thought of the impersonal space Gabriel called home. “You should see his place. It’s so barren. There isn’t a single thing in there that screams Gabriel. He doesn’t live there; it’s just a place where he sleeps.”

Gabriel’s current life was likely far different from the life he’d led with Samael, but Eric kept that to himself. His conversation with Gabriel was private, and though Richard and Maribeth were his best friends, he owed it to his soulmate to keep his confidences.

“For thirty-three years, Gabriel has kept his distance and hasn’t been a part of our family completely,” Richard said. “In three decades, little has changed. I’m scared, Eric. What if he’s the same way with your relationship and your bond never completes? Will you be happy waiting around for that long or longer? There are so many ways this can go wrong.”

Biting his lip, Eric suddenly had the urge to cry. No, he didn’t want to wait decades to take his spot at Gabriel’s side. But what the hell could he do? Ultimatums weren’t fair, and he refused to issue one to Gabriel. However, his patience wasn’t eternal. Would he grow to resent the limitations of their relationship? It’d only been a few months, and Eric was alreadyfrustrated. Was that because he was so eager to be with Gabriel that he was rushing things?

He didn’t think so. Their relationship had grown rather quickly, but they’d been friends for Eric’s entire life. And they were soulmates. They meshed wonderfully, and intimacy had only heightened Eric’s desire to be with Gabriel.

Before Eric could find his tongue to articulate any of his feelings, Richard pulled him into a hug.

“We didn’t mean to upset you,” his brother said, kissing his cheek. “I want fucking everything for you, and I don’t understand why Gabriel needs to hide this. But honestly, it’s none of my business. I know I should keep my nose out of it, but…”

“But you can’t,” Eric mused with a sniffle.

“I’m physically incapable of shutting up,” Richard agreed.

“Give me a hug now,” Maribeth demanded and squeezed Eric tight once he was in her arms. “We love you. We love Gabriel. We’d love the chance to celebrate your relationship. It’s going to make everyone so happy.”

“I guess my next task is to convince Gabriel of that,” Eric murmured.

“Tell him blowjobs are off the table until he takes that next step,” Richard teased.

“I’m way too fond of his dick to even suggest it.”

Maribeth rolled her eyes. “Ignore him. He’s had terrible sex, so he thinks it’s always like that. But you and I know how fucking fantastic it can be. What our dear Richard needs is some more experience. He’d be whistling a different tune if he’d pick guys that aren’t total assholes. And it’s going to kill me if Richard doesn’t find his damn soulmate.”

“Hmm, you know my feelings on that,” Richard replied. “And I’m too impatient to waste time picking out a bunch of guys to test your theory even if I was interested in forever withsomeone—which I’m not. But to please you, maybe I’ll just have a damn orgy. In a single night, I can sample plenty of dick, and you’ll leave me alone for a while.”

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