Page 12 of Our Deceptive Heat

“FUCK!! We did it!”

I laugh and hug him as he slides me down his body. “I’m so fucking proud of you guys!”

“It’s all thanks to you,” Mako says and leans down to kiss my cheek.

I beam at him and spin to face Envy. “Congratulations.”

He steps towards me, cups my cheeks, and smiles. I can’t deny how fast my heart races or the fact that I’ve had this dream a million and one times.Kiss me. Kiss me, please, I’ll beg. I’ll get on my knees, but put me out of my misery and press those lips to mine.

He kisses my forehead. “You’re our unicorn.”

I whimper, but the sound is lost in the roaring cheer that is Digs. He has a bottle of booze and presses it into my hands.

“Drink, unicorn.”

I shake my head, but he lifts it to my lips and with a laugh, I open my mouth and swallow.

The bitter liquid sets my stomach on fire, but it quickly turns into a warmth that takes the chill out of the dark night.

Mako puts on some music and pulls me into his arms, dancing with me. I look up at his familiar face. I dream about him at night, doing things the real him would never do.

“Do you know it’s our anniversary today?”

“It is?” I ask, pretending not to know. Of course, I knew.

“Three years we’ve been working together.”

“Three years we’ve been friends,” I add.

And I love you.

“It’s been amazing.”

“It’s been incredible,” he counters.

He lifts me up and laughs as my feet go flying out. “Unicorn, you’re the magic in our life. We’re never letting you go.”

He’s saying all the right words with all the wrong meaning behind them.

I stay, and we drink. We celebrate. Locke comes over, and Lia, and we party long into the midnight hours.

I wake up slowly.

I’m warm, and there’s something heavy over my waist. I lay there for a moment. Memories flash through my mind. Tears well in my eyes, grief and shame burning through me.

I can’t do this anymore.

I sit up and realise its Digs huge arm weighing me down. I push it off and turn, only to find Tyr on the other side. My stomach lurches from the alcohol and from the broken heart I’m now carrying.

The pale light means it’s dawn.

I stare down at Tyr’s beautiful face. I can’t stay here and do this anymore. It’s killing me, and if I stay, I’m going to ruin it, like I almost did last night, except I’d ruin more than just me.

I might ruin them.

I realise that there’s a line between friends like us. It’s called the self-preservation line.

It’s time to save myself, and in doing that, maybe I might save them.

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