Page 69 of The Light Within

Her tone had reached frenzied levels. Julien passed her some tea to calm her down.

“That’s very strange. I’m hurt that he doesn’t want to use that word.”

Darcy pierced him to shreds with her icy gaze. “Are you fucking joking with me right now? Are you actually trying to convince me that you’re not at fault here?”

“He knows he’s my…” Julien waved his hand. He couldn’t quite truthfully say the word, could he? “Whatever… or whatever…” he finished lamely.

“So you haven’t had that conversation?”

“What conversation?” he pretended, because turning Darcy grey was brightening today’s dull mood.

Darcy only offered him a deadpan look in response.

“Look, we don’tneed—”

“No,youlook, I know this is your first time having actual romantic human emotions towards another human being, so I’m going easy on you—”

“Hey, you don’t have any more experience of such conversations than I do—”

“Yet I’m emotionally intelligent enough to know that it’s not only warranted, it’sexpectedof you. You promised me you weren’t going to fuck this up!”

That one hurt. Julien wasn’t fucking it up at all. He’d never been happier. Aside from all the other crap they were dealing with, of course. But being with Cinn, even in the mundane moments—non,especiallyin the mundane moments—filled him with a contented warmth he’d never understood was possible. Looking back, most of Julien’s time used to be underscored with a subtle anxiety, an edge of loneliness that constantly buzzed away in the background, unnamed. Now, when he woke up each morning, he got to turn over to find Cinn waiting for him, ready to tell him togo the fuck back to sleepas he nuzzled Julien into his arms.

Cinn was what he’d been missing all these years.

And he certainly wasn’t going to fuck it up,merci bien.

“And before you say ‘Cinn hasn’t asked me either,’”—Darcy’s whiny mock impression of Julien was truly ridiculous, quite frankly—“Cinnis likely terrified you’ll turn around and say you thought you two were casually dating or something.”

A sharp shard pierced his heart. Darcy was completely wrong—there was no way Cinn would think that. Julien had been crystal clear with his affections towards him, right?Right?

“Okay, okay. Message received. I’ve already got something planned out.”

Darcyclinkedher mug down on the counter, eyes as fiery as her hair. “Good,” she said, far too aggressively. “Good.”

sixteen

Cinn

“Think that Noir will have another warding band lying around for you, then?”

“Who knows, mate, but I’ve told him I need one.”

Cinn and Elliot were two of the first to arrive at Auri that morning—the sound of their boots crunching through snow, the only interruption to serene silence. The sun had recently risen, casting a soft, golden light over the white-blanketed valley. Neither of them were here at this ungodly hour by choice—Elliot was on the first shift at work and Cinn had a meeting scheduled with Noir, who evidently hadn’t listened when Cinn had said afternoons were better for him.

Though most of Auri was yet to return, the holiday buzz was well and truly over. They’d all seen in the new year with Eric and his group of friends—Julien’s suggestion, surprisingly. Curio Café had hosted a party, a party involving many drinks, and the end result had Cinn swearing off tequila for life. At least he hadn’t embarrassed himself as much as Elliot—his attempt to chat up some guy had ended in him vomiting on the poor fellow’s shoes.

Now, the reality of January in Switzerland was in full swing—the sky was a pale grey, heavy with the promise of more snow to come, and the air was crisp, biting any tiny patch of skin that dared to be exposed. Winters in London had been cold, but this was a whole other level. The only upside was that Cinn didn’t pay his own energy bill any more. Insteadof sitting around in coats and gloves indoors, he whacked the heating on around the clock, feeling smug every time he hit the button.

“So, apparently Tyler is going to go to some rehab facility now it’s the new year?”

“Julien told you that?” Cinn snorted. “Yeah, that’s true. What else did he say?” he asked, curious.

“Not much, but I could tell he was pleased. He still feels bad over that whole… money incident.”

“Yeah…” Julien needed to move past it now, though Cinn knew his initial reaction was partly to blame. But as Cinn had reassured him plenty of times now, although Julien hadenabledTyler to act like an idiot, it was Tyler’s choices that ultimately got him injured. Though Tyler had been in great spirits when Cinn met him—he’d almost fully physically recovered and seemed genuinely committed to his rehab plan.

“Psst,” Elliot said quietly, right into Cinn’s ear. “Don’t make it obvious, but we’re being watched.”

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