Page 47 of Anywhere

Rook sat back and rubbed at his eyes. “Fuck. Do you think any of this is real? Mari told me it is just my normal feelings I’d have for you enhanced. Do you believe that?”

“Aye, I do. Ya woulda been my choice if I’d been given one. I’ma no gonna lie, I din’t be thinkin’ dat in da beginnin’, and I still be strugglin’ wit da demotion, but yer definitely me match.” I looked down at Mari and had never been so happy to see a rosy colour returning to her face.

“I probably would’ve picked you too, but don’t ever fucking tell my father that. Last thing I need is him telling me. I told you so,” Rook grumbled, making me chuckle.

“Aye, yer secret be safe wit me.”

Mari began to whimper, and her eyes fluttered open. I smiled as I stared into her pretty blue eyes.

“Hey ya, beautiful. Yer back,” I said softly.

She reached for my face and laid her hand on my cheek like she was making sure I was real. Her blue eyes filled with tears.

“You weren’t supposed to come get me. No one was to know,” she said softly. “Oh, dear spirits, I’m so embarrassed. I…”

“Stop, we will talk about it, but no’ right now. Besides, dere be no point in sayin’ ta no come get ya. Ya know I’ll always come fir ya. I ‘ave yer back and you ‘ave mine. Dat was da deal.”

A tear trickled from her eye, and that single tear held more weight as it touched my arm than all the water and ice in the tub.

“I need to tell you what happened,” she said, her voice rough with the pained emotion that was like another million little cuts to my heart.

“Naw, ya don’t. It be me that’s fecked up wi’ things. I’m so sorry, Mari.” I kissed her palm.

“No, Rhys. I really need to tell you. It….” She turned her head and spotted Rook sitting in the chair. Her body tensed, and all the emotion she’d just shown me pulled back as her mental dungeon doors slammed into place.

“I…ah…I shouldn’t be in here. I’m sorry. I need to go,” she said, fighting my hold. I let go of her, and she flipped the blanket back and jumped out of bed like I burned her.

“Mari, dinnie go til yer stronger,” I said and rose from the bed, but she wouldn’t look at me. She stumbled to her feet, then fell to her knees.

“No, this is wrong. I need to go. I’m sorry, both of you. I’m so sorry.” She lurched forward and smacked away my hand. She only made it two steps before her legs gave out again.

“Please, Mari, let me at least help ya to yer room,” I said, kneeling by her side.

“No, I’ll be fine. The effect will wear off in a minute.”

“Da no be da point,” I argued.

Rook stood from the chair, his face unreadable. He walked toward us, and my muscles flexed. There was no way to tell if he meant to hurt Mari, so I stepped close to her, just in case.

He squatted in front of Mari, and even though she was in a weakened state, she straightened her spine and stared him in the eyes.

“Mari, I’m going to give you tonight because I like you, and you’ve been kind to me.” The corner of his mouth lifted. It was the sexiest look I’d ever seen. “I’m also doing it because I’m not a fan of the old rules and what that means for you, but mostly I’m going to do this because before I arrived, I rejected Rhys.” Rook’s eyes lifted to mine, and my heart rate tripled. “I didn’t understand what that meant, but you were right when you said you were here looking out for him, and I’d just arrived and was acting like you all owed me something. I’m sorry I’ve been a jerk and a terrible number one so far.”

I nodded since Rook seemed to be talking to me as much as he was to Mari.

“Rhys and I haven’t completed phase one of the ritual, so this moment is something I can do before Rhys and I officially join, which I intend to happen very soon.” His eyes remained on mine as he spoke, and it was fucking hot to see him step out and own his new authority.

Rook’s gaze returned to Mari. “After that… I can’t, and I won’t give my blessing. Aside from whoever ends up becoming our third, there is no way I would ever feel comfortable sharing Rhys with you when I cannot be involved.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say,” Mari said, but I understood.

My heart swelled for the first time with emotion for Rook, not driven by constant desire. I was able to see something long-term. I was able to see the man and a worthy number one. The attraction had been instant, but the hurt of the rejection hadn’t begun to fade until this moment.

Whether Mari wanted this or not, the fact that Rook was willing to let the two of us have tonight while still wanting the union meant more than anything he could’ve said. Words were cheap, but this was an offering. He wanted to start over, and this was his olive branch. Rook wanted to give us a gift and prove his worth as a number one, especially now that he was aware. I knew firsthand this would be excruciatingly painful, and I didn’t wish that pain on anyone.

“I’m saying that I’m going to leave this room, and this is your one night together with my blessing. Take it or leave it. It’s your choice. I want you to understand that I’ve decided to stay. I’ve rescinded my rejection, and I’m going forward with the union. As the future number one of my triad, I’m offering you this gift. Unless, of course, Rhys has changed his mind in the last couple hours about the union?”

Rook looked up at me with the question, and I slowly shook my head back and forth.