Page 29 of House of Kallan
Everyone was home since it was Thursday evening. We were spread out throughout the house, as per usual. Generally speaking, we greeted each other with affection, kisses, and maybe some fondling, but then we went our separate ways to decompress from the day.
Since I had been cooped up at home for more than a year, I didn’t need decompression. I was never made to be a homebody. I needed the wide world and fresh air. Dirt under my fingernails.
But I also didn’t want to miss out on our wife. So for now, I was stuck at home. By choice, sure, but what was the alternative?
I wandered the house for a while, poking my head in on my husbands as I moved from room to room. Everyone was occupied with their de-stressing rituals. Even if that meant laying on their backs and staring at the ceiling.
The only one not tucked away somewhere was Aden because he was making dinner. So I headed for him. He didn’t generally mind if I hung around while he cooked.
Aden looked up and offered me a light smile before he went back to what he was doing. I hopped up on the counter to watch, keeping myself out of the way. He was quiet as he worked. There was some instrumental music playing quietly in the background, but otherwise, he was pretty focused on what he was doing.
When his phone pinged, my heart jumped. It wasn’t the group text. Not with all of us or even the new one that included Tatum. It was just his phone.
I watched intently as he glanced at it, but didn’t pick it up right away. Once he was finished with his task, Aden wiped his hands and then picked up his phone. His smile was immediate as he clicked the phone on. It grew when he read the message and responded.
Then he set it on the counter again and went back to work.
Sighing, I felt myself pouting. Aden glanced at me with a brow raised. “What’s wrong, Toby?” he asked.
“I’m impatient,” I said.
He snorted and turned back to his meal prep. “You don’t say.”
“I hear your sarcasm.” I sniffed. “It’s just that we’ve waited for our wife for forever and she’s finally found, but she’s not here.” Yes, I was whining. I didn’t even care.
“She’s not just going to drop everything to move in with us, Toby,” he said.
“I know, but… if she’d been through the agency like you, she might have.”
“But she wasn’t,” he said, always being reasonable.
“Why are you so patient all of a sudden? I remember you practically launching yourself at Emrys and Zuri when they handed Cobalt the bouquet.”
He glanced at me and sighed. “Because I’m realistic in that I know myself. Iwasexcited that it was finally our turn. Iamexcited that Tatum is in our lives. But Toby, I can’t just jump in like you. That’s not how I’m made.”
“I know. You should spend more time with her.”
“I talk to her all the time,” he said. His phone pinged as if to prove his point.
“Is that her?” I asked, leaning forward. Not that I could see his phone since I was sitting on the opposite counter.
Aden shrugged. “Maybe. Or it could be my friends. We’ve been chatting about getting together since it’s been a while.”
I grumbled and crossed my arms. “You should be seeing Tatum. They’re not going anywhere.”
He frowned at me. “No matter how much you want it to happen, I don’t work that way.”
“But you did with me!”
“Tobiael!” I winced at Hadrian’s voice, saying my name. “Get in here.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I slipped from the counter andpractically crawled into the den. His irritation was apparent in the way he looked at me.
“What are you doing?” he asked, tone sharp.
I flinched as I dropped to the hassock in front of him and hung my head. “Talking to Aden about Tatum,” I said.
“How many times does he need to tell you to back off?” Hadrian asked.
