Page 115 of For Your Heart
Zarek’s face scrunches and he pulls Declan close. It’s not often that my brother shows vulnerability; so I’m glad Zarek knows that. “I love you too. I want to be with you.”
“Good,” I say. “Because we have a new future to work towards and while maybe we should take it a little slower than what I’m about to suggest, things happen.”
“You’re making me tense,” Zarek says. “Out with it.”
“One house. Four bedrooms. But we sleep together in one. All six of us,” I say.
Silence follows my declaration. It’s so silent that I hear the ding of the elevator beyond the door. Sage’s eyes are wide, his lips parted. Surprised. Nothing else flutters across his face strong enough to overshadow his surprise.
When no one speaks, I continue. “One house. One family. We live together. Sleep together. Vacation together. Have kids together.” I kiss Sage. “I marry you, Najee. Now. Doing everything to erase your old life and build you a new one. I will only ever let you be surrounded by people who know how fucking amazing you are. No more stress. No more self-loathing. You’re mine to take care of; mine to worship.”
Tears fill his eyes, and he buries his face in my neck. I hug him tightly and watch Zarek as I hold Sage.
Zarek takes a deep breath, but he doesn’t look away from Declan.
“I have one thing to add to that,” Stommer says and I try like fuck not to stiffen.
“What’s that?” Declan asks.
“Whatever relationships happen under our roof are supported. I don’t really care what they look like or who they’re between. I don’t care if it’s something that’s starting now or developing later. That means we’re going to have to be obsessive about communication between couples and as a whole. With this many people living close together, it’s necessary.”
“You say whatever relationships happen…” Zarek starts, and I can hear his unease loud in my ears.
“Well, the most obvious ones I can point out are the four of you,” Stommer says, smirking. “If you’d like to pretend that’s a bedroom thing, I’ll humor that for now. And you don’t have to admit that there’s anything more between you and Damon or you and Sage if you don’t want to for a while.”
I’m almost irritated that he called us on it. Irritated that he says we will need to talk about it as a whole at some point. Because he’s not wrong. I just hate that he said it.
I also don’t miss that he’s left it wide open with that statement that if something happens between us and Simon, or Zarek and/or Sage and Simon, then he’s open for it. When I meet his eyes and he just holds my stare with an unwavering smile, Iknowthat’s exactly what he’s doing.
This man is fucking maddening. I hate and love how accommodating he is. It also makes my chest ache that he thinkssomethingcould happen between us and Simon. I want to ask. I want to demand he tell us what he thinks.
Obviously, I don’t do that.
Declan and I don’t answer. There’s a part of me that wants to put a caveat on it. As long as Sage isn’t with him. Stommer already took Simon from us. He sure as fuck doesn’t get to have Sage. Or Zarek.
I don’t say that, either.
Despite my animosity towards Stommer, I really want this to work. So I wait. I need Sage or Zarek to speak next. We need one of them to lead this part of the conversation.
Sage says, “I really like Zarek.”
Declan reaches behind him and pulls the strap to Sage’s jockstrap and lets it go. It hits his skin with a loudsnap.Sage yelps, jumping, and twists to look at him with wide, wounded eyes. “Just Zarek, huh?”
Sage flushes. “You too.”
Declan grunts and I try to hide my amusement.
“I agree to that,” Sage says quietly, and I know he’s looking at Zarek. Zarek, who’s really trying to hide a smile at the exchange and declaration. Because he heard the same thing I did. He knows Quin’s statement is concerning Simon. Because that’s all that Stommer truly cares about: Simon.
“I have questions,” Zarek says.
“Ask,” Declan says, pulling him closer. Getting right in his face.
Zarek tries not to smile, but he wraps his arms around Declan’s neck. “Why four rooms if you’re making us share one?”
“We’re sharing a bed,” Declan says. “We can discuss size if you really need to. I suppose we can compromise on that.”
“So generous,” Simon says, rolling his eyes.
