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Dan: HOLY SHIT. I JUST REALISED. WAS CROSSBODY THE GUY YOU BANGED IN THE ARENA????

I snorted as I read through them all, my belly swooping at the realisation that everyone that work now knew about us. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, mainly because I didn’t really know what we were doing anymore. Still just fucking? Now good friends who fucked? More?

The last week or so didn’t feel like something I’d do for just a friend. What he’d said about how he felt back in Otherworld wasn’t just friendly either.

And the way my chest got all hot and tight every time I looked at him, the way my whole body tingled with the urge to touch him, the way all I wanted to do was bury my face in his neck and breathe in his scent… that definitely didn’t feel like anything as simple as friendship. Or just fucking.

I went to type out a reply to Dan, letting him know I was still alive if nothing else, but before I could think of a way to respond to his many questions, Crossbody’s quiet voice had my head jerking up.

“Do you think it will work?”

Now that we were back in the human world, the enormity of what he’d just done seemed to have hit him. The light, carefree, adrenaline-fuelled air that had clouded him on our way to the crossing had faded a little. It had started leeching out of him when we left the Spring Court and parted ways with Ianthe at the crossing. I suspected he was starting to realise that there was a good chance he could never go back there.

“Yes.” I quickly pocketed my phone and found myself automatically reaching over to thread my fingers through his as we walked toward the park exit. It was only around midday, the sun shining and far hotter than it had been in the Spring Court. Tirnal Park was already filling up with people on their lunch breaks, and none of them paid attention to us as we slowly made our way along the path, Crossbody dragging our suitcase behind him. Groups of mothers with their strollers, a couple having a picnic, office workers in their suits trying to catch some daylight and fresh air, several joggers who ran past without sparing us a second glance.

None of them had any idea that they were walking past a ghoul and a fae prince who’d just renounced his title to live among them.

Oh, and that we were both professional wrestlers.

Who fucked.

Unless that pervy motel incubus was somehow here. I cautiously glanced around just to check that he wasn’t sitting on a nearby bench pretending to read a newspaper that had eyeholes cut out of it or something.

“If Ethel’s threats weren’t enough, Axel will make sure your mom can’t remember anything important anyway,” I reassured Crossbody when I spotted no leering incubi. “But if she does start sniffing around again, Ethel and Freddie are on high alert. So is Holt. It’ll be fine.”

“It just doesn’t feel possible that it’s all… over. That she will leave me alone. That I can really just enjoy my life here.” He let out a shaky breath. “I was so scared that she would take it all away from me.”

“I wouldn’t have let her,” I told him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “Plus, she’s probably focused on making sure her youngest son doesn’t become a human world porn star now.”

Crossbody burst out laughing. “Well, she considers what I do practically porn anyway, so I don’t know if she’d be able to handle that. If he wants to leave, though… I hope he does.” His expression sobered, even softened a little. “I don’t hate my brothers. Especially not Ariyon. He was still young when I left, and we all had the same upbringing. I know why he was the way he was before I left, but it seems like he’s… reconsidering things just as I did.”

“What if he shows up here?” I asked curiously. “Would you help him?”

“Yes. Of course. If he doesn’t want to eventually become king just as I don’t, of course I’ll help him create a new life for himself. Gods,” he added with a chuckle, “I cannot tell you how much of a relief it is that it’s over. That I’ve formally announced, to all of the court’s nobility, that I renounce my title. She can’t hide that or twist it to suit her needs.”

“Nope,” I agreed, squeezing his hand with a grin. “I’m proud of you.”

He glanced over at me with a sheepish smile. “Do you think I’m a spoiled brat? Being grateful that I won’t one day have to become a king? Something many people would probably long for.”

I frowned. “No. Of course not.” Trying to lighten the mood, I side-eyed him and slyly added, “But maybe you’ll act like one later on in bed so I can punish you for it.”

His cheeks flushed pink, light brown eyes darting around to see if anyone had overheard. “Does that mean… Would you like to stay over tonight, or…?”

“Yeah.” I saw no point in playing coy about it. “If that’s okay.”

And maybe tomorrow night too. I didn’t fucking like the thought of sleeping apart from him.

“Of course it’s okay,” he said quickly, clutching my hand a little tighter. After clearing his throat, he asked, “Have you heard from your uncle? Is he alright? And Lady Potato?”

“Oh, yeah, I got a couple texts from him, hold on…” I pulled out my phone and quickly opened my messages from Rob. “He just said she loves that old cat tree and Isabella adores her. Then he texted me again this morning letting me know, for some fucking reason, that she’d done what he called a ‘very healthy-looking’ shit in her litter tray. So. They’re both fine.”

Crossbody snorted, grinning over at me, and he looked so unfathomably beautiful in the afternoon sun, in his human form with his peachy skin and golden eyes and long, flowing hair, that I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

I couldn’t believe how long it had taken me to see how beautiful he was. Or at least acknowledge it to myself.

I couldn’t believe I’d wasted the last five years being pissy at him for no real reason, when that whole time we could’ve possibly had… this. Or at least something more like friendship.

“Shall we go get her first?” He blushed as he said, “She’s a little fucking demon, but I have missed her. Surprisingly.”