FORTY-ONE
As soon as they returned to Diamond’s resort, Layla and Quin tracked Weylin to Skyla’s cottage and let themselves in through the open curtain.
The empty living room was much like their own, but slightly smaller, and instead of a grotto, it had a modest bedroom on the main floor. The curtain hanging from the interior doorway was pushed aside, so Layla headed for the bedroom as Skyla’s laugh echoed from within. Both she and Weylin wore smiles, easing Layla’s worry, but she was reminded of the incident by Weylin’s closed eyes and the hand on his chest, healing the heart she’d nearly destroyed.
“You have company,” Skyla announced.
Weylin opened his eyes, his smile stretching when he found Layla. “Hey, gorgeous. I see you’re no longer a human sparkler.”
Layla rushed to the bed, and after making sure his exterior burns were healed, she climbed in beside him, hugging his waist while laying her cheek on the right side of his chest. “I’m so sorry, Wey.”
He lightly laughed while wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “For what? I have two beautiful women in bed with me. This is the best day of my life.”
Skyla smiled and shook her head. “Let’s not pretend this is the first time you’ve had two women in bed with you.”
He smirked as Layla tightened her hug. “I’d tell you two to stop joking, but I never want you to stop. The world needs your humor.”
“Well it’s stuck with him for a while longer,” Skyla assured. Then she removed her hand from his heart and got to her feet. “I’m going to take a break while you visit.”
She left the room, and Quin summoned a chair to the side of the bed, taking a seat before leaning forward. “You already look better.”
Weylin flexed his hands and ran a palm over his heart. “Skyla’s good at what she does.”
Quin glanced at Layla, remembering the bout of mastitis she’d endured and the bones she’d broken during training sessions. “Sky’s been a godsend on this trip.”
Weylin made sure his healer was out of sight then pulled a flask from his satchel, taking a couple of shots before tucking it away. “Now if I’d just stop causing trouble, we might get through this.”
“I wouldn’t classify this as causing trouble,” Quin disagreed, “but you should have left me to it.”
Weylin scanned Quin’s arms and chest. “It didn’t burn you.”
“Not like it did you.”
“Because you’re stronger?”
“Because I’m better equipped to handle her power.”
A big grin stretched across Weylin’s face. “It’s something else, isn’t it? Her power.”
Quin laughed as he relaxed into his chair. “That’s one way to put it.”
“I tell you what, I was flying before it stopped my heart. It was shocking the hell out of me, but at the same time, I felt a high like no other. Talk about a power trip. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be you, man. How you get anything done is beyond me.”
Layla’s cheeks flushed as she rolled her eyes. “On that note, I’m going to go profusely thank Skyla for saving your life and that filthy, filthy mind.” She tightly squeezed his waist before kissing his cheek. Then she blew Quin a kiss while leaving the room.
She closed the curtain behind her, and only then did Quin look away, turning his gaze on his empty hands. “I’m sorry, Weylin.”
“What have you got to be sorry about?”
“Putting my friends in danger, but I’m not looking for reassurance, so accept my apology so we can move on.”
“All right then. Apology accepted, but I have to say, your angel’s apologies are way better than yours.”
Quin laughed and lost the staring contest with his hands. “I won’t argue with that. She rarely messes up, but when she does, she’s good at making it right.”
“Do you think she would have crashed the dome if she’d kept going?”
“At the time, yeah, I thought it was a possibility, but now that I’m not panicking, I doubt it. There are a lot of things Layla needs from me, but I don’t think she needed me to pull her away from the barrier. We should have left her alone.”
“And risk flooding the city?”
“Why would Willa’s kids take that risk? I don’t believe it would have called to Layla like that if she wasn’t supposed to touch it. Unless flooding the city is her purpose. In that case… I don’t even want to consider that scenario. I can’t. I can’t think like that or I won’t be able to see her through this.”
“I get it, man. I would have already crashed and burned if I were in your position. I honestly don’t know how you put up with the shit thrown at you.”
Quin smiled while tapping the arm of his chair and rubbing a thumb across his jaw. “Like you said, it’s one hell of a high. It may eventually stop my heart, but the ride is wild.”
Weylin laughed through a drink of water. “That’s what it’s all about, right? The ride.”
“It would be a shame to miss it because you’re always looking out for the end, but it can be difficult to forget the end is coming. There’s no escape. It’s just a matter of when, but I guess that’s what makes us appreciate life.”
“I’m definitely appreciating mine right now.”
“Me, too,” Quin agreed. “Layla’s right. The world needs guys like you to lighten up the ride when shit gets heavy.”
“Guys like me,” Weylin mumbled. “Skyla thinks I’m a pig.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
“I’m pretty sure she does. She considers me family, but she came right out and said we aren’t close friends, and every time I try to change that, she blows me off while giving me hell for my ways with women.”
Quin watched Weylin’s aura for a few seconds. Then he cast a silencing spell around the two of them. “Why do you think she does that?”
“I don’t know, man. She’s a mystery to me.”
“You’re a fool.”
Weylin’s mouth fell open with a laugh. “Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?”
“You’ve got that backward. It’s about time we talk about this, and you need to start by telling me the truth about how you feel. You’re into my cousin, that much is obvious, so skip ahead to the details. How into her are you? Is she intriguing because she’s on a list of women you have yet to bed? Or is there more to it? And don’t lie to me, because I’ll know, and it will piss me off much more than the truth. If all you want is sex, tell me now.”
“It’s not like that, man.”
“Then what’s it like?”
“I’m still figuring it out.”
“Figuring out what? How serious you are about her?”
Weylin thought it over then nodded. “You could say that.”
“How else can you say it?”
“I don’t know, Quin. I’m not as good as you are at articulating shit, and this whole damn process is new to me. Usually when a witch catches my eye, I tell her so then do everything in my power to get her to make out with me, but I can’t do that with Sky. I know that. What I don’t know is another way to figure out how serious I am about her. I like her, okay? I can admit that all day, but the same goes for every woman here, so what does that tell us? I still don’t know where I want things to go with her or how the hell to figure it out. And to top it all off, she’s giving me the cold shoulder and blocking any attempt I make to get to know her better.”
Quin filled his lungs while absorbing the rant. Then he slowly exhaled as he laid his forehead on the base of his palm. “Honestly, Wey, if you’re not that into her, you should consider stepping away. I won’t make you. It wouldn’t be fair to either of you for me to try, but there’s a clear problem with this scenario, and if you don’t develop stronger feelings for her, it will be hell on everyone involved.”
Silence held the room, and when Quin looked up, he found Weylin frowning at a wall.
“I’m not trying to be harsh,” Quin added. “And maybe I’m wrong. I’m just calling it how I see it.”
“I feel dense,” Weylin confessed. “I don’t understand the problem.”
Quin threw a quick glance at the doorway before meeting Weylin’s stare. “You have a crush on her, one that started just a few months ago. Do you know how long ago she started crushing on you?”
“Around the time she graduated.”
“No, man. You’re way off. That’s just when she decided to do something about it, but she’s carried that torch for years. She likes you, Weylin, more than you like her. If she’s brushing off your attempts at friendship, it’s probably because she wants more and feels like shit sitting in your friend zone. And if she gives you a hard time about your past, it’s probably because she had to watch you pursue every girl except her for years, and when she was finally old enough to attempt to catch your eye, it took Bri pointing her out for you to notice. She doesn’t want to settle for being friends, and if you want to take things further, she’s going to make you work for it, because the last thing she wants to be is a random name on a long list of one-night stands.”
“So what am I supposed to do? Pretend she doesn’t exist?”
“No. I’m not demanding you do anything. I have no right to steer your life when I’m barely keeping mine in line. But from the outside looking in, I think you’d be wise to back off until you’re ready to take a serious dive. You can still get to know her better. All you have to do is pay attention. The next time you crack a joke, look at her and decide how much you like what you see. The next time we all share a meal, take note of what she eats and think about how much you’d enjoy fixing it for her. You don’t have to stick your tongue in a woman’s mouth to discover how much you cherish her laugh or what she can do to challenge you and brighten your day. All you have to do is look.”
Weylin took the time to thoroughly consider the suggestions. “I guess you’re right. You’re going to turn me into a stalker.”
“I’m not suggesting you peek in her window.”
“I don’t have to. I’m in her bed.”
“Good point. Are you staying here tonight?”
“It’s either that or let Kegan babysit me. One’s as bossy as the other.”
Quin laughed while helping himself to a joint on the nightstand. “You can use the bedrest to get to know her better. Take a moment, see if you learn anything by paying attention.”
Quin fell silent, taking a few hits while Weylin observed his surroundings. Then he passed him the herb and raised his eyebrows. “Well?”
“She smells incredible.”
“That’s a good start, but you already knew that.”
“Yeah, but usually I just catch whiffs of her hair. There’s more than that here. Also, she’s tidy, tidier than I am.”
“That’s not hard.”
“It really isn’t.”
“Anything else?”
“Hmm… I’m trying to pinpoint a favorite color, but she likes them all, and she’s much bolder behind closed doors than she is in public.”
“That’s a good one. Now consider how you feel about it.”
Weylin did as he was told, and an unfettered grin lifted his beard. “Excited.”
Quin tried not to read too much into the answer as he took one last hit and snuffed out the joint. “See? You got all that in a few seconds. All you have to do is open your eyes, and if you like what you see, you better be prepared to work your ass off for it.”
“I also couldn’t help but notice Tristan’s t-shirt laying over the back of her sofa. Think he works his ass off for it?”
“Not for her.”
“Then why is she screwing him?”
“To get laid and prove she’s not a little girl.”
“That’s it?”
“I hope so, because if there’s more to it, they’re playing with fire, and she’ll be the one who gets burned. If that happens, you have my permission to kick his ass. Assuming I haven’t already done it.”
“She’s succeeded in making me jealous,” Weylin confessed. “As if I don’t already pale in comparison to you demigods.”
“Not in her mind.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know how she looks at you when you aren’t looking back, and it’s not the same looks she gives Tristan. He’s getting a tiny fraction of what she has to offer.”
“I doubt I deserve more than he does.”
“Good thing it’s not for you to decide. And there’s still time to earn it, time she gave you by saving your life. Spend it well.” Quin rose and waved a hand, dropping the silencing spell. “Your dinner is ready, and I’m having angel withdrawals, so I’m leaving. However you deal with your predicament, remember this – I may consider you my brother, but she’s my blood. I will not hesitate to bury you if you mistreat her.”
“I hear you loud and clear,” Weylin assured, his thoughtful gaze on the curtained doorway. “I’ll do it your way. Mine damn sure isn’t getting me anywhere.”
“First you have to figure out where you want to be.”
“Guess I have a lot of looking to do. I’ll try not to be a creep about it.”
Quin laughed as he headed for the living room. “There’s a fine line between flattering and offending a woman, and an even thinner line between obsession and love. Put her first, and you’ll stay on the right side.”