Page 27 of Kylan

I snatched up his hand. “No, no. Not like that.” I swallowed hard. Having to explain this to him wasn’t easy. Leon and Marek just got it, but I was gonna have to admit shit I didn’t really want to admit. “Unsafe because things are changing. Benji’s living with Nolan now, and you’ll be moving in with Dominic soon enough, and that just leaves me. And I’ll be alone again. These last two years... since I met you and Benj, I...”

Fitch squeezed my hand. “Hey. I’m not leaving you. Who said I was moving in with Dom?”

I shrugged. “I just guessed, you know, because you two are so tight, and he clearly loves you. I thought you’d want that. I mean, who wouldn’t?” I looked around ourshithole unit. “Who’d wanna live here when they could have a luxury house?”

“Me. I wanna live here, with you. Kysie, I don’t know what the future holds. None of us do, but I’m not leaving you. Even if, one day down the track, we don’t live together anymore, that doesn’t mean you’re losing me.”

I swallowed back tears, determined not to cry again. “Really? You mean that?”

He let go of my hand so he could throw his arms around me. “You can’t get rid of me that easy. I’m like a case of herpes. Never really gone no matter how hard you try.”

I chuckled, feeling relieved and happy. My heart happy. “Thank you. I, uh...”

He pulled back, eyes on mine, waiting. “You what?”

“This isn’t easy for me to talk about,” I whispered.

“I know.”

“I’m trying to get better,” I said, letting out a long, measured breath. “At saying shit out loud. Being vulnerable is a hard limit for me.”

“A hard limit?” He raised an eyebrow. “One day you’re gonna have to tell me what kinky shit you’re into.”

I smiled despite my mood. Grateful for his ability to make me feel at ease. “I really love you and Benji. You’re the only family I have. Like brothers. Horny, perverted brothers, but still...”

Fitch laughed. “Okay pot, we kettles have some news for you.”

I laughed and threaded our fingers, feelingbetter already. “I’m trying to get better at opening up and talking... but god.” I let out a sigh. “It’s not easy for me.”

“Because you feel that if you do, if you tell people you love them, they’ll leave you.”

I nodded, tears welling in my eyes, my heart heavy. He really did understand. “It’s easier to pretend nothing matters so when they leave me it doesn’t hurt.”

Fitch took my hand in both of his. “Oh Kysie, we all feel like that. You, me, and Benji, I’m sure of it. We’ve been hurt, and it’s hard to trust anyone. But you can trust us. Me and Benj, we’ve got your back. We love you just as you are. However you want to be. You never have to change a single thing, okay?”

I scrubbed away a tear from my cheek. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

“Like I said to you yesterday, you wanna wear your skirts around the unit, down the street, to a club? Baby, I will hold your hand. Hell, I’ll even wear one with you if it will make you feel better.”

A teary laugh escaped and more tears fell. “Thank you.”

“I’d offer to paint your nails, but you don’t want that, trust me. Though I could learn. Bit of practice and who knows.”

I cried despite being the happiest I’d felt in far too long. “Thank you.” I wiped my cheek again and decided it was time. Time to tell him more about my past. Something I’d not discussed in a long time. “My father found me wearing my sister’s skirts, make-up. And he...”

Fitch’s face fell. “Oh, Ky. I’m sorry.”

“He went apeshit. Like, big time.”

“He hurt you?”

I nodded. I didn’t want to talk about the details or how severe it had been.

“Bad?”

“Bad.”

Fitch sighed; his nostrils flared. “I’m sorry, baby. But also fuck him. Fuck him so hard.”

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