Page 66 of Crystal Iris
“I want to show you something first,” he tells me.
We walk upstairs, passing by Akira and Broc comfortably on the couch watching a movie.
Hoyt’s bedroom is bigger than mine, with an entire glass wall overlooking the water. The slanted ceiling with its wooden beams makes the room look very tall. A thick rug frames the floor underneath a giant and comfortable-looking bed.
“Here,” Hoyt gestures for me to sit next to him. He hands me a small wooden box.
“Your brother’s prism,” I say as I look inside. “Should I... Can I?”
“I think so, I never feel anything when I touch it. It’s like it... died with my brother. Never saw a light in it again, even after I put it on, wetted it... nothing.”
“You tried wetting it?”
“I was angry that it did that to my brother, I wanted to understand.”
The rectangular prism is held by a silver chain. I slide the bracelet on my arm, and like Hoyt,I feel nothing.
“I’m sorry about your brother, it’s horrible... what happened to him.”
“I wish I had reached for his prism instead of this one,” he says, holding his necklace.
I want to hold him, kiss him, take away his pain. However, all I can say is, “Maybe one day we will get answers.”
I close the box and go to sleep,in my own room.
I wake up to see a text from Hoyt:Coffee is fresh, I’m at the gym, come say hi.
I text him after pouring myself a cup.There’s a gym here?
Back door, left after the downstairs bathroom.
I open the door to find Hoyt and Broc lifting weights,shirtless.
“Good morning.” I startle as Akira’s voice comes from the other side; she’s on the treadmill.
“Hey! What are you doing here?”
“Mostly drooling. How did you sleep?” she asks me, slowing down her pace.
“Good, you?” I take another sip of my coffee, trying not to stare at the strong, half-naked men in front of me. I understand now why they look the way they do.
“Great.” She takes a sip of her water bottle.
I watch her. She’s in a great mood.
“Did something…?” I ask.
“Nope,” she says, speeding up again.
Broc is in his own world, doing push-ups in a corner, sweat dripping off his face.
“Goodmorning,” says Hoyt, taking off his headphones.
I smile at him. “Nice gym.”
“It’s handy to have a place to let out some… steam.”
I know what he means. It was hard to walk away from each other last night—from his bedroom,his bed.
