Page 34 of Bound By Threads
My breath catches in my throat. Oscar is so…Oscar. Somehow, he’s always there when I need him, always offering that familiar comfort I never thought I would crave as much as I do. The butterflies start fluttering in my stomach, not just from the thoughts of Archer returning but from the unexpected rush of emotions I feel every time Oscar is around.
Oscar raises an eyebrow, his smile transforming into a teasing smirk, that knowing look in his eyes as he steps a little closer.“You good, Lottie?”
I swallow… hard, trying and failing to ignore the fluttering in my chest.
I glance up at him, trying to gather my thoughts, but it feels like my brain is working overtime just to keep me from spiraling out of control at how close he is. Oscar is standing so close that I can feel the heat radiating off of him, and I swear the air between us is charged, waiting for us to snap and give in to whatever is between us.
But I can’t because he’s Archer’s best friend and I love Archer too…
“I’m fine,”I finally manage to sign, my fingers shaky as I try to keep it casual, even if everything between us is anything but. I see the way he looks at me at work, keeping our secret from Archer as he watches me dance at night, peeling my clothes from my skin.
It’s freeing, but whenever I know his eyes are on me, it becomes electrified and so muchmore.
Oscar doesn’t take his eyes off me; his lips, still curled into the mischievous smirk, tell me he doesn’t believe me. And honestly? I don’t blame him.
He steps even closer, if that was even possible, crowding my space, and for a brief second, I swear I can hear the pounding of my heart in my ears, louder than anything else. The butterflies are in full force now, and the last thing I want to do is make a fool out of myself.
“You sure?”he asks again, and I know he’s loving the fact I’m this rattled.
I can’t help it—I laugh, albeit a little breathlessly. I push him back, my hand lingering on his chest for a moment before I pull it back as if it burned me.“I’m sure, just excited for this weekend.”
Oscar raises an eyebrow, his gaze softening slightly as he seems to read me like an open book, like he so often does.“Big change.”
I nod, glancing away, feeling guilty for dreading the change Archer coming home will bring while trying to pull myself together. Archer’s return home, his transition from life in the Marines to being home permanently. He’s the one who has to adjust, and the last thing I need right now is to try to make any sense of how I feel about the people in my life, especially when it comes to Oscar and Archer.
Oscar steps back just enough to give me space to breathe, but his eyes never leave me. I feel it like he’s physically touching me, his eyes scanning me with a hunger that leaves me feeling exposed. I feel like I’m caught in the web between the man who saved me, someone who I’ve loved for years, and the one who makes my heart race in ways I can’t explain without feeling like I’ve lost my mind.
How could I possibly love two men?
The thought of once loving three boys the same way flashes through my mind, but I quickly push it away before the memories can take hold, threatening to drown me.
“Well, if you ever want to talk… or not talk,”Oscar smirks, but his eyes hold something deeper.“I’m here. You know that Lottie, right?”
I swallow, nodding slowly, feeling the lump in my throat grow and my heart thump heavily in my chest.
He gives me a long look, assessing me, his expression shifting slightly as his foot jerks as if he’s holding himself back. He doesn’t say anything more, but for a brief moment, I swear I see a flicker of something in his eyes—something that makes my heart skip in a way only Oscar can make it.
He turns toward the door, pulling it open.“Come on. Let’s get you to college. I don’t want to give Archer another excuse to kick my ass when he gets home by making you late.”
I laugh, shaking my head, and know how serious he is since Archer has been rigid in his insistence on me getting an education. Making more of myself than I believed I ever could… something that could have never been possible without Archer and his family.
My family.
But I’m not ready to admit that to myself yet.
I watch Oscar walk away for a moment, a part of me still caught in the thoughts of wondering what’s really going on between us. Maybe it’s the nerve of everything changing around me, or maybe it’s something more.
As I follow him, the butterflies don’t seem to settle. If anything, they’re growing more restless, just like my heart and mind.
Could I truly ever have the happy ever after I dreamed of so often as a child?
Chapter19
Lottie
Zara groans beside me as our professor advances to yet another slide on the effects sharks have on our ecosystems, but I’m completely absorbed in his words. I hang on to every sentence, just as I’ve done since the very first day of class.
The ocean has always called to me, drawing me in even after I came dangerously close to losing myself in the depths. The near-death experience only solidified my desire to protect it since it wasn’t its fault. I jumped with every intention of dying until Archer saved me.
