Page 77 of Quiet
The moment Briar’s chest touched Isa’s back, the boy let out a sigh and rolled over. He wrapped an arm around Briar’s side and stroked his back. “S’ok, Briar. We’re okay.”
* * *
“By the goddess, Marie, look at that.”
A familiar voice pulled Briar from sleep, but he was happy where he was. Warm and safe. Waking up was not happening.
“They’re so cute!” Another, equally familiar voice said, forcing Briar away from the warm place and closer to the pointy, bright place.
He cracked an eye open.
Yep. Both his mom and aunt stood in the doorway to his room, hovering like they wanted to barge in, but something was stopping them.
Briar grunted in annoyance and buried his face in silky, heavenly smelling hair.
“Briar, you’re squishing me.” Isa’s sleep roughened voice was muffled by Briar’s chest. The boy pressed a kiss against Briar’s skin.
Briar wanted to squish him a little more but remembered Isa’s injuries in time to stop himself.
“We’ll be in the other room until you two are up,” Briar’s mom said with laughter in her voice.
Isa’s body went rigid. “Who is that?”
“My parents are here.” He looked at his mom and tried to tell her to give them fifteen minutes, but the words caught in his throat.
Oh right. Apparently, that was still a thing. Great. The itch in his mind stirred from its slumber.
“Your parents?”
His mom gazed at him thoughtfully before frowning and pulling his aunt out of the doorway, letting the door close behind them.
Isa shot off the bed at the sound of the closing door, body trembling. He hunched over in pain but kept whirling around like he was expecting attackers to burst in through the windows. “What are they going to do? There’s no way they wouldn’t know. Oh my god, I kissed your chest right in front of them!
Briar hurried to his side before Isa hurt himself. “It’s okay. They won’t do anything. Both of them are supportive. Nice.”
“Nice?” Isa asked in disbelief.
“Really nice. I promise.”
“If you say so.” Isa’s skeptical frown made Briar think he was having trouble believing him. It wasn’t a stretch to assume he had little to no experience with parents—anyone’s parents— being a positive thing rather than something to fear. “Hold on. What are they doing here?”
Briar rubbed the side of his head. “I tried to call them last night, but I couldn’t talk to them. I think I freaked all of us out. They probably just want to make sure I’m okay.”
“That must have been awful for you. Why didn’t you wake me up? I might have been able to help.”
Briar touched the unblemished skin beside the bruise on Isa’s face.
“Briar . . .” Isa took his hand and kissed it. Briar’s chest grew warm, and the itch in his head softened. “You still should have woken me up.”
Briar shrugged. “We should get dressed. They’ll be back if we don’t come out soon.”
Isa made a little noise that sounded a little too much like he’d swallowed his own tongue for Briar’s liking.
“If you don’t want to, I can go myself.” It would be awkward as hell, but a living, breathing, happy Isa was better than one who was on the verge of a panic attack. His parents would understand.
“No, I can go.” Isa put his forehead on Briar’s chest and took a deep breath. Then he took a step back and straightened his shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
Isa made for the door at a surprisingly quick pace for someone in as much pain as Briar knew him to be. He barely managed to grab Isa before he got there.
