CHAPTER SIX
Rami POV
Once I know he's asleep, I quietly close the laptop and recline the seat. The moment I shift, he moves with me like some overgrown, clingy koala. I don't fight it.
I wrap my arms around him. He sighs, soft and content, nuzzling closer.
Thieran, Thieran, Thieran.
I say his name in my head like a prayer. A mantra. The reason for more than half of my tattoos.
How long are we going to do this?
This not-quite-lovers thing. This quiet closeness. This soft edge we dance along where I dry his hair and hold him when he's drunk, where he wraps himself around me like we belong to each other. And maybe we do.
But not really.
We never say it. We never cross the line.
And every day I think I should stop. That I'm leading him on. That I'm leading myself on.
That maybe this is cruel.
To want him is a kind of madness.
But to lose him?
I don't think I could survive that.
Just one more day, I tell myself.
Just one more.
**
Thieran is singing.
Loudly.
Off-key.
It's some random pop song he threw into the playlist and insists is an underrated masterpiece. I keep one hand on the steering wheel and try not to laugh as he throws his whole body into it.
His hair is loose again—of course it is—floating in the breeze through the car window. His hand is outstretched, catching the wind.
From the rearview mirror, I see it.
Flowers blooming behind us.
Where the car passes, petals unfurl and vines stretch toward the sky.
I can't help the smile that pulls at my lips.
I don't know what fairies look like, but if you asked me? They look like him.
The drive to the estate is familiar, the curve of the land, the scent of mana in the air.
Soon, the massive estate comes into view.
It's always breathtaking. The outer walls covered in ivy and vibrant blossoms. Living walls crafted by the twins, enchanted to bloom endlessly. It looks like something out of a fairytale.
I pull up to the front and before I even shift into park, Thieran is scrambling out.
No matter how much he whines about being on the island, this happens every time.
He loves it here.
I step out more slowly, handing the keys to a waiting servant, and follow the trail of lime-green jumpsuit and wild blonde hair into the estate.
I catch a flash of him bounding up the stairs. I follow, more out of instinct than thought.
At the top of the stairs, I hear it.
Squeals. Laughter. A flurry of energy.
Thieran is latched onto someone—his father—pressing loud, exaggerated kisses on the man's back.
"Father! Father! Father!!! Did you miss me?!"
Thorne Alden laughs—a real, deep laugh.
"When do I ever not miss my baby?"
I stay at the edge of the moment, not wanting to interrupt.
"I knew I heard something loud," says another voice—smooth, soft, and unmistakable.
Noelle Alden.
He joins them, long hair braided to the side, robes flowing like silk painted by moonlight.
"Hi, Dad!" Thieran chirps, still attached to Thorne.
"Leave my husband alone, you little monkey," Noelle scolds, flicking Thieran lightly on the forehead.
Thieran must've stuck out his tongue because Noelle clicks his tongue in return.
"Did you come alone?" Noelle asks.
"No, I came with Rami."
Three heads turn. Three sets of eyes lock onto me.
Green.
Blue.
Green and blue.
Standing next to them, Thieran is like a miniature blend of both—a perfect genetic remix. All the Alden siblings are. Like the universe just picked the best features from both parents and rolled out an entire generation of unreal-looking children.
"Heyy, Rami!" Noelle says, opening his arms.
I walk into his hug immediately. I learned the hard way—you always take Noelle's hugs.
He's tiny, but somehow he makes you feel like the whole world is warm and safe and will be okay.
"Oh my, have you lost weight? Are you eating?" he says, peering up at me with narrowed eyes.
"Dad! You didn't ask me if I'm eating!" Thieran whines.
Noelle ignores him expertly. I hide a smile.
A strong hand ruffles my hair. I look up and Thorne is watching me.
"Nice to see you're alive."
Then he just... turns and walks off, Thieran still clinging to him like an oversized accessory.
Noelle grabs my hand without a word and pulls me along behind them.
It me a long time to accept this but this is my family.