Page 67 of Shipwrecked

“That…was a sexy story?”

Cillian mutters something under his breath that I don’t catch. He continues in a louder voice. “Obviously it isn’t a sexy story. It sounds like you had it rough, and I’m sorry for that—”

“It was a turned-on sigh,” Mathieu insists.

“I’m banning you from the lean-to if you don’t stop.”

Mathieu pushes even more against my side, avoiding my sore shoulder. “It’s Jules’s lean-to.”

Cillian glares. But the quality of it has me giving Cillian a doubtful look. His reaction makes it feel like Mathieu’s striking a nerve, not just throwing out random accusations. Cillian must read the doubt in my face.

“It’s the fact that you figured out a solution,” Cillian says. “You met a roadblock, and rather than sitting there and letting it get the better of you, you took the initiative to do something about it. It’s an attractive trait.”

“I’m very impressed that you called. I would have got my friend to make the call for me,” Mathieu says. “I could be in a car crash, and I wouldn’t call the emergency services. I’d text my dad my address and what happened, and make him do it.”

“If your brother is fixing my car, I can call the emergency line for you,” I say.

“Will you be my boyfriend too?”

“Mathieu, now isn’t the time,” Cillian says, before I register the question. He sounds genuinely cross.

“Jules says you don’t know if you don’t ask,” Mathieu shoots back.

Cillian sits up, scowling. “You’re not so dense you can’t figure out why this is the worst situation to ask something like that. He’s just been assaulted by his ex, and the story he just shared about—”

I put up a hand to stop Cillian. “Don’t fight, please.” I turn to Mathieu, who looks chastised and guilty. “I don’t think I should be making decisions right now. I’m not… I’m not steady.”

Cillian is quiet and tense, and I know from the look Mathieu shoots him, followed by the way he shrinks, that Cillian’s glaring.

“Sorry,” Mathieu murmurs.

I kiss him on the mouth. Chaste, but long enough that he can taste forgiveness. “It’s okay,” I say softly, aiming to be quiet enough for privacy between us. “I’m not angry. And I’m not rejecting you.”

“I want you, Jules. Very badly.” Mathieu cups my face, thumb stroking across my cheek. “Enough to be mean about it. Certainly enough to be desperate.” He returns a soft kiss. “Forgive me?”

“Of course.”

When we pull apart, Cillian is fixing an intense, unhappy look on Mathieu. I put my hand on his tattooed arm. “Can I have more painkillers?”

Cillian nods. Mathieu makes for the exit. “I’ll get them, since I’m very reliable. And if someone is sick, they could call me from bed and I’ll be right there.”

“I swear to God I will boot you,” Cillian growls.

Mathieu darts away.

“He’s just playing. You shouldn’t get angry with him.”

“I don’t think he is playing. He shouldn’t be—”

“You did the same thing, Cillian,” I interrupt.

Cillian looks taken aback. He faces me, dumbfounded.

“You’ll be ‘that’ person, if I like?” I remind him.

Cillian has an expression like it hadn’t occurred to him what that offer actually meant.

“You did the same thing, so don’t be mean to Mathieu. He just phrased it differently to you.”