“Ah,” I said, meeting her eyes again. The tension between us pulled taut and thick.
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, trying to force myself not to claim her lips with mine, and her eyes hungrily tracked the movement.
“Hollis.. I…”
“Good evening, and welcome toRestaurante de la Grey!” Thorne exclaimed dramatically, carrying the prepared meat piled on a thin slab of stone into the clearing with the flair of a seasoned chef.
I gave Bex a quick smile, before gifting my brother with an exaggerated eye roll. I sat back, putting much needed space between her and I.
“On the menu tonight, you'll find my specialty. Big cat a la... uh... delicious.”
Bex laughed, the sound light and carefree, as she snickered at my brother’s ability to turn any moment into something fun and airy. Honestly, I’d be jealous of his charm if I didn’t get to bask in the way her laughter sounded like music in my ears.
“We recommend pairing this delectable meal with some of our finest water, straight from the dirty-ass river, with minimal filtration,” Thorne continued, his grin widening as he set the meat down by the fire with an exaggerated flourish.
Bex’s eyes sparkled as she watched him, a playful smiletugging at her lips. “Sounds perfect,” she replied with a teasing glint in her eyes.
Thorne, ever the flirt, slid into the seat next to her with all the casual confidence of someone who knew exactly how to make an entrance. He pressed his side against hers as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I rolled my eyes at my brother’s antics but couldn't help the way my chest tightened as I saw how easily he made her smile.
I’d never felt jealous of the people Thorne gave his affection to, probably because our tastes rarely overlapped. And when they did, it never felt like competition. It felt… natural. Back home in Darkbranch, some people raised eyebrows when we dated the same girl, but to us, it made sense.
After we lost our parents, there were parts of us that never quite healed. Big, jagged spaces that no one person could fill. Loving someone together wasn’t unconventional, it was about making sure that person never had to carry the full weight of either of us alone. We shared that responsibility, that tenderness, because we knew what it meant to be broken. And neither of us wanted to let someone we loved feel that way.
I never found it strange, if anything, I found comfort in it. I liked knowing that the girl I cared about was also cared for by someone I trusted.
For a brief, dangerously tempting moment, I wondered if Bex would mind letting us care for her.
Shaking the thought from my mind, I got to work on cooking the meat, making sure it was perfectly seared over the fire. The sizzle and crackle of the flames filled the air, and I did my best to focus on the task, even though the low hum of Thorne and Bex’s banter kept pulling at my attention.
When the meal was ready, we all dug in with eager hunger. We pressed our hands against our stomachs when we'd eaten our fill, groaning in contentment.
“Five stars,” Bex said, her voice light but warm, and I felt a small flicker of pride that my brother had managed to make the evening feel almost normal.
Thorne grinned, his eyes glinting mischievously. “Would you like to see our dessert menu?” he asked, his voice dropping to a low, tempting pitch.
I couldn’t help but glance up at them, just in time to see Thorne lean in closer, his breath teasing her neck. The way her body reacted sent a jolt through me, her breath hitched softly, her cheeks flushed with a delicate pink that made something deep in me stir. I couldn’t help but notice the way her thighs pressed together ever so slightly.
I could think of a desert I’d like to taste.
I think she knew where my mind had gone because she met my gaze with a fiery expression.
I felt the temperature around the fire rise, my heart rate picking up, but then my eyes flicked to the cameras strapped to Thorne and Bex's chests, and I knew I needed to get it together before we gave them more of a show than they'd signed up for.
“Let’s set up camp for the night,” I said, trying to sound casual, “We’ll hit it hard tomorrow.”
Thorne grinned like a mischievous child. “Yes, we’re very good at hitting it hard,” he replied, his voice dripping with feigned innocence.
Bex, mid-sip of water, choked and spat it out, her cheeks turning a shade of red that I couldn't help but notice. I threw my pack at Thorne, he caught it with a huff. I groaned and ran a hand down my face, exasperated, but I couldn’t suppress the smile that crept onto my lips. Maybe a few days hike in the woods wouldn’t be all that bad with her by our side.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Bex
I couldn’t sleep.
The ground was too hard, the air too cold, and every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ezra’s face. The worry clung to me like a second skin, itching at my nerves, refusing to let go.
