All too well. “Right. I’ll come down there myself if I have to.”
“Maybe don’t. Zhang will have a fit. He’s not going to want you out of his sight for a bit.”
“Can’t he just find me through this?” I hold up the arm with the rune.
“Yes, but you know it’s not that straightforward.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll behave myself.”
“Good.” He kisses my cheek. “We love you, Treyu Centaurus.”
* * *
“What’s this I hear about a massive temper tantrum over your wedding attire?” Zhang’s breath tickles my ear.
“Not even your hairbrush will make me feel sorry about that.”
He shrugs. “We’ll see. Who’s this, now?” he says to Trinket.
Trinket giggles. “You know me. Remember? You came to my house.”
Zhang pretends to think about it. “Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell.” He steals Trinket and pulls a shrilling giggle from him when he blows a gentle raspberry into the crook of his neck.
My heart flip-flops. My non-existent uterus squeezes.
Zhang holds Trinket against the side of his massive torso and the tiny boy’s eyes sparkle at him. “Will you marry me next?” he asks Zhang.
It’s fucking adorable and it strikes me because the same thing happened with Trinket as it did to me. Yet he’s nowhere near as cynical as I am.
It must be his age. Only, I never wanted marriage, even though I knew Father would eventually make me settle down. I didn’t even do it for pretend.
“I have to ask Treyu.”
“Oh! Right. Treyu’s the boss. I forgot,” he says.
I’m the boss at home for my brothers, but definitely not of Zhang. It’s amusing that he thinks I’m the boss of everyone.
“He’s the boss,” Zhang says.
“Maybe when you get older,” I tell him and hope he grows out of his crush on Zhang by then.Sorry, little brother, Zhang’s mine.
“Yay!” He squirms down and runs across the room to jump into Father’s lap who leans in to scold him for almost barreling over several wedding guests. He may be tiny, but he’s one hundred percent Orion.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” Zhang says. His breathless tone relays what’s on his mind.
“Take me to bed or lose me forever.” I hold out my arms, wanting to be carried and he’s happy to oblige.
* * *
I expect to be taken to our room. Instead, he ferries me to the pools, which have been reserved just for us. The pools are a long maze of water that glimmers in blues and pinks and purples, depending on how the moonlight hits. Steam rises in feathery gulps at various intervals.
Zhang is magnificent in his wedding attire. I almost don’t want him to take it off, but then I wouldn’t be able to view his?—
“How are you doing?” He rubs my shivering arms with his granite-like hands.
“Terrible. I’m married to you.”
He smiles and he glows.
