Compounding Traumas (Artemis University #6) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,65
more than to hold you. I want to lie down and simply hold you. I want to feel that close to you again and like we’re together. I missed you so fucking much, I just want you in my arms.”
Okay, so apparently he wouldn’t think it was silly because that was what I wanted too. I flopped down on my bed and smiled up at him.
Tears filled his eyes again as he moved over me and gave me a long kiss before taking off his glasses and setting them on my nightstand. He laid down and slid his arm under my head, pulling me closer. I turned to him, wanting the closeness as well.
“I added that you were a snuggle monster to my tattoo,” he whispered against my hair.
A giggle slipped out. Him too? Oh geez, so my secret wasn’t much of a secret anymore. I moved my hand to his chest and my leg over his. “Thanks. My street cred would be shit if people found out.”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, that’s the thing we need to keep quiet most.”
“Totally.”
Gods, I really had missed him more than I had let myself admit. Simply laying there with him and knowing we were on the path back to being together was slowly healing my soul. It was a good day for once.
14
We must have dozed because a knock at the door had us both sitting up fast and blinking around. He reached for his glasses and put them on before giving me a quick kiss and rolling to his feet.
I wiped my eyes and glanced at the clock, knowing I had to be somewhere soon.
Darby opened the door to reveal Lucca carrying a huge box. They shared a surprised look, and then Darby stepped back to let him in, closing the door behind him so no one walking by would be part of this.
“Hey, hi, so um, you guys…” Lucca trailed off, glancing between us.
Darby was perfect and looked to me as if saying the answer was mine to give or not.
It made me smile. “We’re back together. Slowly.” It was my turn to shoot a glance at Darby. “Um, boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Damn right we are, agra.”
Good.
“Cool, good,” Lucca said, sounding like he truly meant it, but felt awkward walking into something. Or simply awkward and not knowing what to do after what had happened between us. “Well, I didn’t mean to intrude, and I can come back.”
Darby glanced at the clock. “No, I need to handle some things, and lunch is soon.” He frowned. “But you have something to do. I didn’t mean for us to nap, though clearly we needed it.”
Lucca looked at the clock too, and understanding filled his eyes as he smirked. “How are you doing it? Do you need cover? I can pick you up from your class or whatever and give you cover.”
I gave him my most innocent look. “What are you talking about? I’m not doing anything I would need cover for.”
Lucca threw back his head and let out a full laugh. “Tamsin, I’m sure there’s at least a dozen things you’re up to that you could use cover for.”
“At least,” Darby agreed, sounding just as amused. “Let us help and update our tats to cover the whole topic.”
After thinking back to what the queens and Mrs. Von Thann had said the other day, I caved. Good people wanted to help, but didn’t always know how. “Yeah, okay, if you’re sure.”
“I am,” they said together.
I was already wearing what I needed, but I must have slid off my shoes while laying with Darby, so I put them back on before going to my closet. I felt the energy in the room change and spun on them. “You are not coming with. I can do tons you cannot. Accept that and you would be a liability.”
“We would,” Darby sighed. “Though, I do have a suggestion.” He waited until I nodded. “You kept getting back out of the estates and then opening a portal. You’re defaulting to that after years of thinking you were human and doing your activities. Go in because you don’t know the landscape and specific wall or who’s around, but after you open a portal for the hobgoblins—”
“Open one for myself right there,” I groaned, feeling like a moron. But then I didn’t. “Yeah, that helps, but most times I’ve been meeting up with the fae dogs or hitting two places. Still, I can let them know that I’ll get out that way