Chapter 262

“Ben!” I object, turning to glare at him, kind of not believing that he’s pushing Daphne to face her feelings for Rafe so bluntly.

“I mean, it’s true,” Ben says, turning to me.

“Daphne is allowed to make her own decisions on her own time!”

“Agreed,” Ben says, nodding and looking between us. “Until…well, until it gets unfair to Rafe. I mean, he’s…he’s pretty gone on you, Daphne. And trying really, really hard to be your boyfriend. If you don’t want that…”

He pauses, and shrugs.

Daphne takes a deep breath and lets it out, heavy. “I have to tell him.”

“Daphne,” I say, my heart breaking a little for her, shaking my head. “Don’t let Ben push you into things if you’re not ready –“

“No, he’s right,” she says, straightening her shoulders. “I’m…I’m just being a coward. And cruel. Rafe has been so good to me and…I have to be fair.”

“Okay,” Ben says, nodding.

We’re all quiet again for a long moment as my mouth pops open – as I realize that…what started out as a chocolate run has ended up in a plan to dump by brother.

“Bottoms up, chickens,” Daphne says, quickly raising her glass to her mouth and emptying it before she gets determinedly to her feet.

“Wait,” I say, going still, clinging to her hand. “Is this…is this happening right now!?”

“I think it has to, Ari,” Daphne says, squeezing my hand and looking down at me. “While I’m determined and courageous enough to do it? I think it has to. Now that I know in my heart that I don’t feel the same way about him…dragging it out would just be cruel.”

I stare at her for a second before looking down at my mug of wine in shock.

And then I, too, raise it to my lips and drain it, thinking that I’m going to need a bit of courage as well.

“You really don’t have to do this right now,” Ben says, laying a hand on his heart and looking a little guilty. “I really didn’t mean to push you, Daph –“

“No, I think…I think I’ve been looking for a push,” she says with a sigh, tugging at her shirt so that it lays flat and neat. “Um, can we go?” she asks, looking up at us. “Before I talk myself out of it?”

“Okay,” I say, standing and putting my mug back on the little table, reaching out and taking her hand. Ben drains his own glass and the three of us head out of her room, locking the door behind us and heading back upstairs in a much different mood than when we left. I hold Daphne’s hand the whole time and she grips mine in return, I think grateful for it.

When we get back to the room, my family and my mates turn eagerly towards us, calling their greetings.

“Hey, where’s the chocolate?” Jesse asks, frowning as he peers at all of our empty hands.

“We ate it all downstairs,” Ben says, casual, heading into the room as I stand with Daphne at the door, her hand still tight in mine. As Ben sits on the couch I look at Rafe to find his eyes already on us, a frown on his lips, sensing that the mood has…shifted.

“Um, Rafe?” Daphne says, her voice shaking a little bit. She gestures hesitantly towards the door. “Do you think we could…have a chat?”

Luca grimaces quickly before looking back at his book and Jackson, I notice, is just studying. Completely oblivious.

“Sure, of course, Daphne,” Rafe says, standing slowly and crossing the room to us. He shifts his eyes to our joined hands. “Are you…coming Ariel?”

I just shake my head, a little scared to say anything, and give Daphne’s hand one final squeeze before starting across the room. My heart aches, suddenly, my allegiances torn – because as much as I want to feel supportive of Daphne – she’s about to break my brother’s heart! And I can’t do anything about it.

Feeling the sudden surge of my emotions, Jackson whips his head up and towards me, frowning fiercely.

“Give it a second,” Luca murmurs, reaching out and tapping Jacks on the arm. Jackson pauses, looking down at Luca’s fingers as I move to the couch, sitting down next to Ben with a sigh. We all sit quietly as Daphne and Rafe move out of the room, going who knows where, and closing the door behind them.

After a long moment, Jesse breaks the long silence. “So…this isn’t just about chocolate, is it?”

“All right!” Luca says, snapping his book shut and looking significantly at Jackson and Ben. “I think it’s time for us non-Sinclairs to clear out.”

“What’s happening?” Jackson murmurs, looking around at all of us, baffled.

“Just…let’s go, Jacks,” Luca sighs, shaking his head. Ben gets up again, even though he just sat down, gathering this things as I curl into the pillows of the couch.

Jackson doesn’t reply to Luca, sitting quietly on the floor, and Luca and Ben give him a strange look when they realize that he isn’t leaving with them. But Ben just shrugs and nods to the door, silently suggesting that they not worry about it. Luca bends down, giving me a kiss on the cheek, and I return it with a surge of affection down our bond.

“See you at breakfast, gorgeous,” Luca murmurs, brushing a hand over my cheek where he kissed me and heading for the door with a wave. “Fill me in then?”

“Oh, I think the situation will spell itself out,” I say with a sigh, smiling at him as he goes. “But yes, of course. See you then!”

When Luca and Ben leave, Jackson just looks between Jesse and me. “Please, I don’t understand,” he says quietly.

Jesse doesn’t reply, keeping his eyes focused on me, and I frown at him when I realize that…I don’t think he’s breathing.

“Are you okay, Jess?” I ask, turning my head to stare at him.

“Yup!” he says instantly, smacking his hand on his legs and standing up quickly, tossing his book onto his chair before turning immediately towards the bathroom and striding off for it. “Time to get ready for bed!”

I peer after him, confused, because…was that a blush on his cheeks? But…why?

“Ariel,” Jacks says, sighing, pleading. And I turn to see him staring at me with utter confusion in his eyes, just…completely not getting it and hating that he’s being left out of the loop.

I laugh a little, sadly, standing and going to him with my hands out. “Come on, puppy,” I say, helping him to his feet. “Let’s go to sleep – I’ll tell you everything in the dreamstate.”

“Don’t see why you can’t just tell me now,” he grumbles even as he does as I say, “since everyone else already seems to know.”

“Yeah, well,” I say, wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him over to the nook, “it’ll take a while to explain and I suspect Rafe will want a little space when he’s back. So, let’s hurry up and get to sleep.”

“If you say so,” he sighs, taking a moment to cup the back of my head and press a quick kiss to my lips before we each move, reaching for our pajamas and starting to get ready for bed.

I’m a little relieved, though, that we’re not quite asleep twenty minutes later when Rafe comes back into the room.

Jackson and I are tucked away in the nook, curled up with each other, and Jesse is in his own bed as Rafe quietly opens the door, closing it softly behind him and then just…standing there. Like he doesn’t know what to do next.

In his bed, Jesse sits up and looks over at Rafe, but he doesn’t say anything.

I wait for another few moments, but then I sit up too. “Rafe?” I call, hardly above a whisper, though I know he hears me. “Are you…are you okay?”

He takes a moment before he answers. “I’m…”

But his word is choked. So he takes a deep breath and clears his throat as a wave of sadness comes over to me to see my brother hanging his head like that.

Immediately I throw the covers off, swing my legs to climb out of bed, to run to him –

“Please, Ariel,” Rafe says, his voice rough as he puts out a hand towards me. “Thank you but…um. I think I just to be alone? As much as that is…possible. When we live like this.”

“Do you want us to go downstairs?” Jackson asks softly, likewise sitting up, terribly confused but clearly wanting to offer what he can.

“No,” Rafe says immediately, and then he moves, quietly padding over to his bed. “Just…peace and quiet, please. I want to be…alone.”

“We love you, man,” Jesse says from his bed – the first words I’ve heard him say since he hurried off to the bathroom.

“I love you guys too,” Rafe says on a sigh, collapsing into his bed and just laying there, not bothering to get changed or to pull the blankets over himself. He doesn’t even take off his shoes – just…stares at the ceiling.

And I just stare at him for a long, long time until Jackson tightens his arm around me, pulling me close. “Come on,” he whispers, achingly soft. “Let’s go to sleep.” And then he presses a kiss to my cheek and we cuddle up together, drifting off even as my heart is reaching for my brother, wanting to give him comfort even though I have absolutely no idea how.