Page 23 of Scars of the Sun

Now it was Josie’s turn to go almost as red as her hair. She directed her attention back to her nails, “Just wondering.”

“Can wepleasenot allude to what you and my brother get up to? I already kind of hear it. I don’t want even more details.”

But Sylvie’s attention was still on Josie, curiosity and knowing swimming on her face with furrowed brow and pursed lips. What conclusion she was coming to, I had no idea, but before I could say anything else, tires crunching on gravel sounded from around the house and up the road.

Again, I brought my phone out and checked the time. The hours seemed to have slipped by while we were out here, even though it was hot as fuck. It was one of the days Orion’s classes ended earlier, but he typically stayed in his office doing work until it was time to pick up Dahlia, and Ollie if he wasn’t at home with Sylvie, from school.

Sylvie and I glanced at each other in question while two sets of doors thumped closed, and I caught my brother’s scent. With it was one I was familiar with, and the quietly distressed voice was as soft and deep as I’d remembered.

They bypassed the house all together and proceeded around the side and over to us. My brother was dressed in his work clothes that weren’t a far stretch from what he wore in his free time. The simple, gray long-sleeve and dark jeans made another round of sweat run down my face and neck, but he only seemed lightly flushed by the heat. At least for now.

The Wolf with him had loose hair down to their waist, sharp eyes that were emphasized by long, delicate lashes. A thin, golden headband glinted in the sun, and the billowing purple blouse they wore caught in the summer breeze.

As they got closer, I saw the lines pinching their expression into one of worry that made them even more interesting to look at.

“Hey, Juno.” Sylvie called pleasantly, but her brows were turned up in concern, noticing the look on their face as well. I’d been around my brother’s best friend a handful of times in the past, but they’d always seemed in good spirits and calm. Now, though, they were only able to muster a weak smile in our direction before plopping down at the iron porch table.

They undid the top buttons of their shirt before leaning back and running a weary hand from their brow to scalp.

My brother sank down into the lounge chair with Sylvie, and she automatically settled between his thighs. Sweaty and all,Sylvie leaned back into Orion’s embrace, and he closed his arms around her waist.

A few ducks in the lake quacked and splashed in the water amidst the weird silence that’d fallen over all of us. I shifted where I stood, unsure of my place here. No one called me out or eyed me like I didn’t belong, but I also had no idea what the hell was happening. Josie’s face was crumpled in frustration as she looked between Juno’s chest and their face, and it was she who finally broke the silence. “What’s going on?”

Juno pinched the bridge of their nose. “Family stuff. I need to fly out as soon as possible, and Orion offered to drop me off.”

“Oh,” Josie frowned, “are… do you need anything?”

My brother’s friend gave a dry chuckle that, even to me, seemed very uncharacteristic. They pinched the front of their shirt and jostled the fabric, hair waving as they fanned themself. “For my family to actually tell me what the hell is going on. Apart from that, it’s fine.” They craned their neck to look over in her direction, and their face noticeably softened. “But thank you.”

As if she couldn’t sport any more red, Josie looked down nervously at her toes, “Are you sure?”

Sylvie and Orion seemed to communicate something to each other with just a glance, and right as I was making a mental note to ask my sister-in-law about it later, my phone dinged with an incoming text, cutting through the thick air like a bell. Or a gunshot.

I turned away from the three of them on the porch, trying to give myself space in case I was about to be royally disappointed.

Facing the lake, I opened my phone to find what I’d been waiting all night and morning for. Which, really, wasn’t much time at all. But seeing his name on my screen released the band that’d been pulling my chest tighter and tighter. It was like I could finally take a deep breath after only panting for so long.

Río

Hey, Princess.

And then I was sent into another round of anxiety—this time instead of a low, rolling discontent, it was tinny and sharp. His response was an acknowledgement but also nothing. And I couldn’t respond right away. Could I? Oh, god, had I accidentally turned my read receipts on at some point without knowing?

As my mind spiraled, three dots appeared on his side of the exchange, and I almost started choking again. My lower back was pouring sweat, but I was shivering at the same time.

Río

What’re you doing later today?

“Oh, shit,” I whispered to myself. What was I supposed to say? ‘Nothing’? ‘Let me suck your dick again’? I had half a mind to turn back to Josie to ask her what I should respond with, but when I snuck a glance back at the four adults on the porch, they were talking very seriously about something that obviously didn’t have anything to do with me.

Bitch, you’re an adult, too. Get it together.I forced myself to take a long inhale, clench all my muscles and jaw, hold, and then release.

Without allowing myself more time to think, I typed out a quick response.

Me

Depends. What are you doing?