Chapter 51

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SKYLAR

SKYLAR DIDN'T take a full breath until they got off the freeway.

Thank fuck . They were back in Paso Robles again. Ward had taken him up to San Jose for one last post-op checkup, and the moment he'd gotten the good news, Skylar hadn't been able to get out of that city fast enough.

Ward reached over and quickly patted him on the knee, then put both hands back on the steering wheel. “We're almost home, kitten.”

Skylar slumped down in the seat and tried to relax. Holy fuzzballs . It was actually over. He'd healed well and could officially resume all normal activities. Lifting. Carrying.

Sex.

Skylar squirmed in his seat. A part of him was desperate to tackle Ward the moment they reached the apartment. He wanted— needed —Ward's cum inside him. Wanted to be marked by the man.

But he wanted Charlie, too. He needed to have both of them at once. To have both of them claim him together.

Except Charlie had gone back home last week, having reached his limit. Charlie had fought so hard to take care of Skylar during all the hours that Ward was at work, but he'd been in desperate need of a break. A slammed door in a nearby apartment had pushed Charlie into a full-blown fit. It had taken Ward almost an hour to calm him down.

That had been a Thursday night, so poor Charlie had to wait another two days before Ward was able to take him home.

Of course, the moment Charlie was home and settled, surrounded by his familiar spaces and things, he'd started texting both Skylar and Ward, complaining that he missed them.

So Charlie was coming back tomorrow. His parents would be driving him down, presumably to resume his week-on, week-off routine.

Skylar eyed Ward, wondering if the man was up for it. Hoping that he was. Poor Ward had been absolutely buried with work, besides having to shuttle Skylar to his checkups. Harvest season and bottling had taken their toll on the man.

Having to take care of Skylar had probably only made things worse.

Skylar gazed out the window as they headed through downtown, making their way to Ward's apartment. He couldn't believe it was November already. The red and gold leaves clung valiantly to the trees, clearly not ready to let go. Skylar breathed a humorless laugh. He felt for those leaves. Their struggle seemed all too familiar.

Ward's phone vibrated. The man glanced down at it, then scanned the street ahead. He pulled over to the curb and put the truck in Park . “Sorry. One second.” He quickly grabbed the phone and answered the call. “Hey, Mom…Yeah, sorry. I just got hung up in traffic. I can probably be there in about half an hour…Okay. See you then…Love you, too.” Ward ended the call and dropped his phone back into the center console.

Skylar eyed the man as he pulled back onto the street.

“That was my mom,” Ward explained. “It's Dad's birthday today, so I'm heading over to their place for dinner.” He ran a hand back through his hair. “I honestly forgot all about it until this morning. Vaughn texted me while you were at your appointment.”

“Oh.”

Ward brought the truck to a stop at a red light, then glanced at him. “I was going to ask, but…I was hoping to introduce you and Charlie together. I mean…”

“Oh, yeah. That makes sense.”

Ward was silent for a long moment. “Besides, I wasn't sure you'd want to come.”

“Oh?”

Ward paused as he followed traffic that began to move. “You've barely left the apartment.”

Skylar gave a single, slow nod. That much was true. He hadn't so much as gone grocery shopping with Ward and Charlie since he'd left the city. While he'd been recovering, he'd had a perfect excuse, but all the rest of the time?

He'd been hiding. It was as simple as that.

It wasn't like he was going to run into any of his clients in this town. Still, he couldn't help picturing it, every time he thought about walking out that front door. What if he saw someone who knew what he was? It was bad enough that Ward and Charlie knew how dirty he was. As did all of Charlie's family. And Adam knew, of course, which meant John probably did, also. Hell, for that matter, it meant all of Adam's friends probably knew as well.

Skylar could never be free of his past in this town. Not truly. He still had to leave. He'd have to go far away and find a place where his past could never catch up with him. Where nobody could ever find out what he'd done for a living.

And that meant absolutely no meeting Ward's parents, even though he felt a stab of hurt, not being invited to do so. How could he possibly ever face them? How could he look Ward's mother in the eyes and not feel dirty and horrible for the way he and her son had met?

They got back to the apartment, and Skylar sank onto the couch while Ward used the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and retrieved two bottles of wine from his collection. Ward set the bottles by the front door, then padded over to the living room.

“Hey.” Ward crouched down. “You really are welcome to come, if you want.”

Skylar opened his mouth, sorely tempted to say yes . He wanted to be part of Ward's life. Ward's family. But then he thought about how much he'd have to lie to Ward's parents, and the thought made him ill. Besides, Ward sounded hesitant. Like he didn't actually want Skylar to come but was only asking as a matter of course. “I'm kinda tired, actually,” Skylar said, and it wasn't a lie. The long, rushed trip up to San Jose and back had worn him out. “I think I'll just have some leftovers and then go to bed early.”

“Okay.” Ward pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I'll be back in a couple hours. Call me if you need anything. Anything, okay?”

“I will,” Skylar promised.

“Okay.” Ward kissed him again. “Get some rest.”

Skylar watched in silence as the man got up, pulled on his boots, and walked out the door.

The latch clicked into place, the lock struck home, and silence fell.

Skylar shivered. He ran to the front door and listened as Ward's truck started up and then pulled away. Skylar checked the locks, making sure the door was secure, then ran to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, trying to warm himself up, and pulled on some pajamas that Charlie had left behind for him. They were soft, warm, and like new, in far better shape than Skylar's own. He grabbed a pair of Ward's socks and put those on as well. They were loose on his feet, but he didn't care. Skylar heaved a sigh of relief and headed for the kitchen.

He eyed the leftovers in the fridge, then grabbed a can of Charlie's hungry soup instead. Skylar didn't really like it, but nothing else sounded appealing. He heated it up, then poured himself a small glass of the Vista Robles grenache. Ward had brought home a bottle of it just for him.

Skylar sat on the couch, idly watching a show while he ate. He heard cars come and go outside, accompanied by doors slamming, footsteps, and all sorts of different voices. People going about their lives, coming home from work, going out to dinner, spending time together.

Fuck . He should have gone with Ward. But it wouldn't have felt right without Charlie. And he'd never be able to look Ward's parents in the eyes.

Skylar turned off the TV, washed his dishes, left a light on for Ward, and went to bed. He fell asleep almost instantly.

And then the nightmare came.

The long hallway. The endless doors. The clawed, grasping hands tearing his clothes, grabbing him, pulling him back, keeping him from Ward and Charlie. From safety. From freedom.

He woke to the feeling of a body curled around his. Skylar gasped, scrambling to get away while the nightmare fought to maintain its hold.

“Sky? It's okay,” Ward murmured. “It's okay. It's just me.”

Skylar's chest heaved. “W-Ward?”

“Yeah, sweetheart. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.”

Skylar heaved a sigh of relief. “I was having a nightmare.”

“It's okay.” Ward's big hands found him and pulled him close. Skylar went willingly, burrowing against the man as Ward wrapped his arms back around him. “You're safe. Everything's okay.”

Was it, though? Skylar snuggled in closer, soaking up the man's presence and warmth. He'd never be able to get enough.

It wasn't fair. Whether Ward discarded him tomorrow or ten years from now, this whole thing was bound to end. Hell, even if they stayed together and Skylar ultimately lost Ward and Charlie to death in old age, it would still mean heartbreak and loneliness. One lifetime with them would never be enough. Sooner or later—and far more likely the former, since they were bound to cast him out at some point—Skylar would once again be on his own.

Better to run now and get it over with.

Except he didn't want to leave. Not really. Not ever. But if he did go, he still needed to belong to them first. He wanted to be marked by them in the most intimate way possible. A way that he'd never share with anyone else in his entire life.

Skylar squirmed. “Ward?”

“Yeah, kitten?”

Skylar opened his mouth, ready to ask the man to fuck him right then and there, but he stopped himself. It wouldn't be right without Charlie. He needed both of them. Together.

Hell, maybe that would change everything for him. Maybe, once he was really and truly theirs, he'd feel settled. Safe. Ready to stay.

“Charlie's coming back tomorrow, right?” Skylar asked instead, then gasped. “Oh, shit. We didn't text him. To let him know we got back safely.”

“I did,” Ward murmured. “I remembered right when I got to my folks' house. I sent him a text, and he wrote back that he'd see us tomorrow.”

Skylar let out a sigh of relief. “Okay.”

Ward gave him a squeeze and pressed a kiss to his temple. “Go back to sleep,” he whispered.

Skylar obeyed.

He woke the next morning to the sound of the coffee machine turning on. Skylar sat up and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't remember presetting the machine, so Ward must have done it.

The clock on the nightstand showed it was 4:30 in the morning.

Beside him, Ward groaned and dragged himself out of bed.

“Ward? You don't have to get up this early.”

The big man padded around the end of the bed and bent over Skylar to give him a kiss. “Charlie will still be getting up this early, so I might as well stay used to it.”

Skylar frowned. “Have you been getting up at this time all week?”

“Yeah. I mean, it feels the same. It's the same time that five-thirty was last week. But I'm definitely gonna have to go to bed earlier if I'm gonna get the same amount of sleep.”

Skylar laughed. “Yeah. Charlie will be in bed by seven-thirty or eight now, and you know how he is about bedtime.” Skylar paused. “Ward, are you sure–”

Ward cut him off with a kiss. “He's worth it,” the man murmured. “Come on.”

Skylar got up, and they took turns in the bathroom before meeting in the kitchen to get coffee. He eyed the time. It would still be several hours before the Pratts arrived, depending on how pushy Charlie got with his parents.

The morning dragged on. Even with both Skylar and Ward getting the apartment tidy and laundry done, making sure everything was clean and neat before Charlie arrived, it seemed like no time was passing at all. Skylar found himself looking at the clock every few minutes, unable to keep still. He needed Charlie there with them.

Finally, after what felt like ages, they heard a knock.

Skylar went with Ward to answer the door.

The moment it opened, Charlie threw himself into Ward's arms.

Skylar's heart clenched. He loved seeing Charlie so comfortable with Ward now, but it also stung like hell. Skylar used to be the one Charlie came to. The only one. Now, Charlie went to Ward first.

Which was exactly what Skylar had wanted all along, but it still hurt to witness.

Then Charlie turned to him and hugged him tight. Skylar held his breath, choking back a wave of emotion. He returned the embrace, and it took everything he had to let go when Charlie started to pull away.

Ward shook hands with Charlie's parents and gestured for everyone to come inside.

They all loitered in the entryway while Charlie took off his shoes and carried his bag into the bedroom. Skylar was tempted to follow him, except the Pratts were asking how he was, whether he'd recovered, how he felt. He forced on a smile and patiently answered them, wishing all the while that they'd simply leave so he, Ward, and Charlie could be alone.

“We've been looking ahead at the calendar,” Mr. Pratt said to Ward. “And if Charlie resumes his old routine with you, it looks like it'll put him here for Thanksgiving. Same with Christmas. We don't want to impose, because I'm sure you have your own family plans to think of, so if it won't work for you to have him here, we'll have a talk with him about rearranging the dates–”

Skylar muttered an excuse and hurried off to the bedroom. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear Ward's response. If the man didn't even want to take him to his father's birthday dinner, why would Ward want him and Charlie hanging around for the big family holidays?

He sat on the edge of the bed and watched Charlie finish unpacking. The boy chirped to himself as he went, narrating his movements as he carefully and methodically put his clothes away. Once he was done, and his bag was tucked out of sight, Charlie headed for the doorway, barely sparing Skylar a glance as he signed, Hungry! Hungry! Hungry!

Skylar breathed a laugh and followed.

Charlie squirmed through saying goodbye to his parents, then made a beeline for the kitchen. He snatched down a can of hungry soup and bounced in place, squeaking with excitement.

Skylar blinked hard and looked away. Hell. He was going to miss little things like that.

But it wasn't over yet. And he couldn't let on that anything was wrong. So he forced on a smile and helped Ward make lunch while Charlie heated up his soup.

They spent a quiet, cozy afternoon on the couch, finishing out a season of the show they'd been watching. Skylar found himself smiling as the hours passed. It was so peaceful. So perfect. Just the three of them, finally together again. Himself and Charlie on either side of Ward, the big man holding them close. He couldn't imagine anything better.

After dinner, something began to shift. It was subtle at first—just a hint of tension in the air—until it slowly grew. Skylar's heart beat faster. He knew what was coming. He wanted it. And he felt them wanting it, too. Simple, innocent touches turned softer, yet more urgent. A simple hand on the knee suddenly became a seductive caress. The gentle brush of a thumb went from sweet to erotic.

The three of them collided. The room spun, and Skylar felt dizzy. He suddenly found himself in the bedroom, kissing and groping bare skin. Where had their clothes gone? He couldn't even remember getting undressed. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe this wasn't even real.

Except it felt real. Incredibly, achingly real.

Skylar moaned, feeling Ward and Charlie surround him. They all wound up on the bed, and not one of them so much as glanced at the nightstand drawer, let alone reached for it.

Oh fuck . This was happening. This was really, finally happening.

Skylar was going to be theirs.