Hunt Me! I Crave the Chase (Spooky Boys #3)

And then the still partially open front door parted wider, and a familiar head popped through the crack. Blair’s messy mop of black hair flopped in his face, and his eyes were wet as he stared at me.

A beat passed.

“Can I come in now?” Blair asked, voice low. “Or do you guys need more time to be gross?” I released Richard’s hand as quickly as I’d grabbed it. Then wiped it off on my pants, heart thumping erratically.

If being numb had been awful, this was worse.

Fire burned through my body, my eyes wide, my heart skittering to life again as I stared up at Blair, horrified.

It felt like the world was ending all over again. He overheard. There’s no way he didn’t. He fucking overheard. What did I say?

Oh fuck. What did I say?

The peace I’d just found disappeared as quickly as it had come.

My words disappeared. My throat was dry—and I just—I didn’t…I didn’t know what to do.

“Did you…?” My voice cracked.

“Hear?” Blair pushed the rest of the way into the room, nodding, his eyes searching mine. “Yeah. I did.”

“Oh.” My head was spinning all over again. “All of it?”

“Yeah.”

I didn’t think I’d ever felt more off-kilter. I hadn’t meant for him to hear. Hadn’t meant to spill my truths like that. But now that they were out I couldn’t bring myself to deny them. Mutt asked me why I lie, and I used to think it was because my lies protected the people I cared about most.

But as Blair fell to his knees beside us and wrapped his arms around me tight, I realized I’d been wrong. Because all I felt was warm as his tiny body tucked against mine. I wasn’t sure what I expected. Judgment maybe? Anger? Rejection?

But I got none of that.

Instead, I got squeezed by a fucking half-pint, and was given the greatest gift of all, not arguments, not platitudes, not promises—but acceptance. The silence was full of love. It was fluttery soft and closed in around us as I slowly…slowly softened. Richard patted my back awkwardly as Blair squeezed me even tighter.

“You know,” Blair said, crackly soft, voice as rough as my own. “If I knew you were that jealous of my Dracula cutout I would’ve bought one for you too.”

I snorted, sagging into him as I nodded. “You were a stingy fuck.”

“I was,” Blair agreed, his arms solid and sure as we huddled in a sad little pile on the floor.

You deserve to be happy.

It’s time to move on.

You know I don’t blame you, right?

Blair had said those words weeks ago, but it wasn’t till this moment that I actually believed him. Till I realized he’d been telling the truth, and not trying to placate me.

In a way, I was glad things had ended up this way. Sure, I should’ve told Blair how I felt a long time ago. Should’ve spoken my truths and made the choice to break down the wall between us. But that could’ve taken years—and I…

Well…

I needed my brother.

“I’m sorry,” I said to him, because he deserved it most of all. “I didn’t mean to cut you out.” It was exactly what Blair had done to me, months ago. I could still remember getting mad at him on the phone when he’d finally fucking called me and let me know he was okay. And here I was, doing the same exact fucking thing.

I guess we weren’t all that different.

“Oh fuck off,” Blair laughed, slapping my back and making me wince. I was still bruised, after all. “Alright. Disgusting sappy moment over. God, gives me the fucking heebie-jeebies,” Blair shivered like he was disgusted, pulling back and away, though he offered me a hand to help me up. “The fuck’s with your hair, dude?”