Page 127 of Holy Hearts
We all walk back into the kitchen, and I hand Kai a glass of water. My fingers brush against his wrist. It’s a subtle touch, but I catch the way Kai goes still, like he’s not used to being looked after.
Like he’s not used to anyone checking in on him after a scene.
“You good?” I ask, softer now, my earlier dominance melting into something gentler. Kai nods, but I catch the ghost of something vulnerable in his eyes.
Sophie presses her palm against his chest, grounding him, and he smiles down at her.
“Well, I’m famished,” I tell them both, stepping away. Before Kai has a chance to second-guess anything, I shrug and cross my arms. “Do you want to stay the night?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE FORMULA
Malakai
“I think the thing with these horror movies is they’re formulaic,” Sophie says, grabbing another handful of popcorn from Julian’s lap behind her. I work my thumbs into the arch of her bare foot. She hums softly in appreciation, wiggling her toes to encourage me to keep going. Julian gives me a lopsided smile as she chews quickly. “So yes, it’s fine to complain about the character acting like a clown, but every one of these movies has an early murder. We expect it. Usually, it’s gruesome and memorable. One by one, other people die, but we all know who the protagonist is going to be early on.”
Julian smirks, his free hand lazily running through her hair. “She has a point,” he says, sipping his tea.
“I never said she didn’t,” I retort, smiling as I shovel more popcorn into my mouth.
“You could say romance novels follow a formula too,” Sophie muses, eyes flicking toward the paperback novel she set down on the coffee table. “People don’t pick up one of these slashers to be surprised. They want the comfort of knowing exactly what’scoming. The chase, the screams, the inevitable bloodbath. Same with romance—the characters meet, there’s tension, there’s sex, and then they get their happy ending.”
Julian tilts his head, thoughtful. “Comfort in predictability.”
I glance between them, bemused. “Is that what we’re doing now? Comparing masked killers to happy ever afters?”
Sophie grins. “Why not?”
The characters on-screen begin screaming as a masked man chases them, and we all turn our attention to the antics of the ‘formulaic’ movie. I rub along the side of her calf, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my palms. She changed into an adorable set of baggy silk pajamas, and I let my eyes wander over her bare face and bright, blue eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Julian watching me. His gaze lingers, soft but assessing.
“What?” I ask, leaning back against the couch and pausing my foot rub.
Julian shrugs. “This is just nice. That’s all.”
Sophie wiggles her foot against my chest. “He’s right. Itisnice. You give a mean massage, Malakai Ravage.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Glad to be of service.”
I’m still smiling as I turn back to the movie, but I can feel Julian’s eyes on me every few minutes. When we’re all done eating, I look over and his hand is resting along the back of the couch. Stretching my arm, I reach out for his hand, gripping it firmly once before letting go.
He looks over at me, and something passes between us.
The ease between us feels natural, but even as I play along, there’s a weight that sits low in my chest. It sneaks in when I’m not paying attention—when I let myself enjoy thistoo much.
Because thisistoo easy.
And that’s the part that scares me.
“I’m knackered and need to go to bed. It’s nearly two in the morning,” Sophie says, yawning. “Are you boys going to join me, or do you want to finish the movie?”
“We’ll finish,” Julian says smoothly, fingers brushing lightly over her hair.
She leans over to kiss him softly, then turns and presses a kiss to my cheek. “Don’t stay up too late.”
“Night, Soph.”
“Love you,” she murmurs to Julian, and he returns it without hesitation.
