Bolt looks from me to Blue, and I swear I see a hopeful expression blazing in the blue eyes that are identical to mine.
“Nope. See you guys tomorrow. I’m glad you’re back, Dad.” He flashes a large smile and slips off into the crowd.
“He’s grown up a lot,” I say.
“Yeah, he’s always been wise beyond his years, though,” she replies.
“Yeah. Club has a way of making you grow up faster than you should.”
“Mmm-hmm.” She looks up at me. “What’s so important you have to talk to me now? This is your night.”
“Like I said, I’m spending it with the person I want to be with.”
She visibly swallows.
“Come on, let’s go somewhere a little more quiet.” I guide her through the writhing bodies dancing to the music and down the hall. Pausing outside of my room I pull out my key. “I’m not sure what I’m walking into, so bear with me.”
“It’s clean. I, um… I went over it the other day,” she says.
Already acting like my Old Lady. “Thank you, Blue.”
“Hey, least I could do.” She smiles, while the tension leaves her face and her body.
When I push the door open, the scent of pine teases my nostrils. I inhale and step inside. There are clean, crisp sheets folded down over a black comforter that’s neatly tucked into my full size bed. The place looks like I left it. I let my eyes wander over the few family pictures I had hanging on the wall. I mentally shake my head and refocus my attention. “Have a seat.” I gesture to my bed. She does as I ask, and I take a deep breath. “I’ve had nothing but time to think about things. The mistakes I’ve made. The choices I wish I could change.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, Shadow, least of all me. Why are you doing this?”
“So you can understand what’s about to happen.”
“What? You moving in?” Her brow furrows and he
r eyes darken with confusion.
“Let me get through this and then you can ask questions.”
“Okay.”
“The one regret I kept returning to was you.”
“Excuse me?”
“You, Blue. I never wanted Calla—”
“No! You don’t get to say this.” She jumps from the bed and stalks toward the door.
I grab her arm, spin her around, and place both my hands on either side of her head, pinning her to the door. “Yes, I do. Because it’s true. It was supposed to be you, Blue. That night she came in and pretended to be you.”
“W-what?”
“I kept this to myself for a long time. I wanted to keep Bolton safe, but he’s well on his way to being a man and has formed his own opinions of his mom. Nothing I do now will change that. I’m free to go after the one thing that’s been forbidden to me.”
Her chest heaves as she stares up at me. “I—why?”
“Because you care about people. You’re strong, but so fucking sweet I could get a cavity just from staring at you. Because I’ve been wondering what your eyes will look like when I make you come. How you’ll sound, what your scent will smell like mingled with mine. I’ve already had you a million different ways in my mind.”
“S-Shadow.”
“Tell me I’m alone in this.” I press my hips against her and rock, letting her feel what she’s done to me.