Chapter 38

THIRTY-EIGHT

Owen

B ail is set the next morning as soon as our lawyer can get before the judge, and I'm returned my stuff and released to Oliver.

"Where is Colin?" I dread where he's gone.

"I took him home."

I narrow my eyes at my brother. "Yours or mine?"

"Mine. Because I didn't want him alone with a concussion," Oliver says like it's no big deal.

"Who are you, and why have you replaced my brother?" I put my hand on his forehead, but he throws it off.

"He's family now." Oliver slips into the back of our car looking at me like I'm the one acting odd.

"We've been married for almost a year and he's family now?"

"Obviously, since it's not a faux anymore." Oliver adjusts his tie and then checks his watch. "I'm going to drop you off and then head to work. We have a meeting with our lawyer this afternoon, but I need to go into the office and handle a few things. Am I wrong to assume you can call your husband out of class? Or shall I do that too?"

I grumble. "I can do it."

He searches my face, nodding after a few moments. "Do you need my assistance on anything further?"

I look at my hands. They are swollen with flecks of dried blood. "I need my hands checked out—after I see Colin." If he even wants to see me.

"I already have the concierge doctor stopping by this afternoon." Oliver inspects them for a moment. "Do you think you broke something?"

I lift my shoulders. I haven't thought about anything but Colin since last night. "I don't know."

Oliver leaves me at his building, and I ride the elevator up in silence. I don't know what I'm going to say to Colin, or Isaac, or my coach. I feel like I've let everyone down. I want to crawl into a hole and die a slow, painful death alone, but I can't do that before I see Colin. I need to make sure he's okay, even if he never wants to speak to me again.

Isaac tells me he's sleeping in my old room, so I slip in there but find the bed empty. If that motherfucker left, but then I see a bit of his foot sticking out under the chaise lounge and smile to myself.

I crawl under there with him, carefully wrapping an arm around him while pressing my chest to his back. He stirs and stiffens.

"It's me," I whisper.

He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't pull away either.

"I'm sorry." I hold back tears, trying to be strong for him.

"It's not your fault." Colin sounds detached, and now I know why my therapist gets so concerned when I sound that way.

"I don't mean your father. I should have killed him. Of course, that's not my fault. I mean, our fight. I mean, pushing you away instead of talking to you. For closing off and shutting down for weeks. I know what it's done to you. I was terrified."

Colin doesn't reply right away. "What were you terrified of?"

"Being in love with you. I thought we could keep things the same if I fixed my feelings and just kept acting like we were friends who fuck, but I was pushing you away, and I fucked up. It's fucking scary to be this in love with someone. I know Oliver won't leave me, but that's because he's my brother. You could leave any time, and it would—did—destroy me. I don't want our marriage to be over."

Colin twists, trying to look at me, but he winces and his breathing catches. "Ouch."

"Don't move. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I need to see you," Colin says carefully.

"Careful. Let me move. I'll go around." I wriggle out from the chaise in a very unsexy manner and then climb back under facing him.

"Why don't you want our marriage to be over?" he asks, not looking into my eyes.

"Because you're my best friend, and the only person I've ever wanted to spend every day with. The only person I've ever wanted to fuck. And not just because you aren't sticky…"

He laughs and sucks in a breath, eyes snapping shut as he grabs his ribs. "Don't make me laugh."

"It's true, not a joke."

He fights laughing more. "Mean!"

I kiss his forehead. "I love you and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don't know how you feel but—" I don't know what else to say.

"You really love me?"

I nod, slipping a finger under his chin carefully so he'll look at me. "With all of me. I don't want anyone else. I want you. Not because we have to be married. Not because we need to protect anyone. I want to protect you and have you. You are everything I never knew I needed and wanted. Just as you are."

"You'll get tired of my shit."

"Not possible. You bring so much joy to my days. Finishing practice or a tournament and getting to come home to you is the highlight of my life. I love everything about you. How happy you are all the time. Your clothes. Your excitement for theater and art. The trashy television we watch in our snuggies." I bring my forehead to his. "You're the sunlight in my sky, princess."

"Don't call me that, you're going to make me hard, and I'm too bruised to have sex."

"Are you too bruised to orgasm?" I ask playfully.

He groans, half painful, half wanting. "Your fucking brother asked the doctor how long I have to wait to have sex."

"He knows us too well after those pictures." I grimace, but don't actually care as long as I get the answer. "How long?"

"Isaac didn't let the doctor answer!"

"We'll have to ask the concierge doctor when he comes."

I take him to bed, and we sleep until Oliver wakes us saying the doctor is here.

He checks us both out. I don't have any breaks, just bruising, which will heal fine as long as I don't do anything else to injure myself, and he does a full workup on Colin, saying he needs bedrest for at least a week with only light activity and no sex.

The lawyer is next, and I don't want to deal with it. All I want is to cuddle Colin and forget about the last twenty-four hours.

"I've talked to Mr. Covington, and he says as long as Colin doesn't press charges, he won't press charges against Owen?—"

"No." I cut off the lawyer. "I want Colin to press charges. He's not getting away with this."

Colin and Oliver both look at me.

Finally, Oliver speaks. "Do you really think he needs to go to jail?"

"He won't go to jail. I'm sure his lawyers will get him off." Colin sounds defeated.

"Jail is the least of his worries now. I'm going to destroy him," Oliver says offhandedly.

Colin looks at him. "What?"

"I told you yesterday. I'm going to make sure he has nothing left." Oliver turns to the lawyer. "What is Owen looking at if Mr. Covington doesn't drop the charges."

The lawyer walks us through what will probably happen. "I don't think with his clean record and family name, he will get more than community service."

"Fine. Press charges, Colin, please." I take his hands in mine.

"This could get you kicked off the national team." Colin shakes his head.

"If I get kicked off the national team, I get kicked off the national team. It was worth it. The only thing I care about is you."

Colin lifts his eyes to meet mine, and I hold his gaze, unwavering. "You're serious? You could go to the Olympics. You can't throw that away for nothing."

"I'm not throwing it away for nothing. My husband is way more important to me than fencing ever was. I can live without fencing. I can't live without you."