Page 34 of Shattered Trinket
So here I am. Walking between one massive tree trunk of a man that oddly reminds me of an overeager puppy and one that’s his total opposite, both in size and mannerisms, with each arm linked in one of theirs and surrounded by their scents that are like magic as they block out the chaotic noise and voice in my head that urges me to flee and hide.
It feels… good.
Natural.
Safe.
“Manny an’ Ridge have been friends since secondary school. That’s high school here. I met them, eh… how long has it been,brother? Seven or eight years?” Zeke glances over my head at Manny, pursing his lips, giving him this charming air to him that I kind of adore.
Listening to him talk seems like something I could do for hours every day. He could talk to me about absolutely anything, and I think I’d be completely enamored, regardless.
“Sí.You weren’t quite twenty-one yet, and we were out for Ridge’s twenty-first,” Manny chuckles, shaking his head, and I decide that I could listen to him talk for hours, too.
It’s not just the accents they have, though those are absolutely beautiful. It’s… their tones. The way they’re speaking to me, almost like they’re afraid if they say one wrong word or use the wrong volume, I might disappear completely. I wouldn’t, I don’t think, but they don’t know that.
Zeke’s fingers on my hand bring my attention back to him and when I tilt my head up to look up, he smiles brilliantly at me, making me flush. The rays of sun that peek through the shade of the trees we’re walking under make his red hair shine anytime they hit, and I almost can’t stop myself from reaching up and tugging a loose tendril framing his face.
“I had snuck intae the pub they were at that night wi’ a few friends. I was already well past bein’ drunk, so I didnae last ten minutes before the owner came over tae kick me out. O’ course, bein’ the sad sop I was at that age, I picked a fight. Just before the guy knocked ma head off my shoulders, Ridge an’ Manny here popped up tae save my arse. Never spoke tae those friends again after that night an’ stuck tae Manny an Ridge like glue ‘till I wore ‘em down enough tae tak me in. Only took ‘em a few weeks tae tak pity on me.”
Manny scoffs while Zeke laughs, his chest shaking as he tries to rein it in.
“He didn’t give us much of a choice. He’s huge, but he’s basically an overgrown child. Someone clearly needed to take care of him, otherwise he’d never have survived this long.”
Zeke places his free hand over his heart as he glances down at me to give me a wink before looking back at Manny and blowing him a kiss.
“I knew ye loved me, ye spicy wee cinnamon stick. I love ye too, Sweet Daddy.”
“Oh, fuck’s sake. Seriously?”
“Dinnae let him fool ye, lass. He loves it when I call him Sweet Daddy,” Zeke whispers, bending low enough to reach my ear.
His lips just barely brush the outer shell, but that doesn’t stop the shiver that rolls down my spine. Tingles spread around my ear, down my throat, and straight to my heart, and when he pulls back, I can’t help but laugh softly. Not only at their bickering, but the easy camaraderie that’s plain to see.
“I heard that, and no I don’t,” Manny mumbles, and I can’t help but bite my lip to stifle the laughter bubbling up.
I notice I’m completely relaxed in their company now, with no lingering anxiety, just… regular nerves. Nerves you get when you’re on a first date or meeting someone new or starting a new job. I feel at ease with them right now, and it makes me so hopeful about the future. A future I’m starting to feel like I can actually start dreaming about again.
“Okay, fine. He actually likes bein’ called Snickerdoodle.”
“You’re the biggest pain in my ass, you knotheaded Scottish brat.”
As Manny scowls, a playful grin spreads across my face, finding amusement in their quarreling because, well, it’s oddly endearing. It’s kind of how I imagined my life would have been if my parents would have had more kids. I also like that I’m seeing a glimpse into their lives together. A glimpse into what could bemylife one day, if I can only seize it.
Just this small interaction has shown me that Zeke is playful and lighthearted while Manny is more stoic, but I sense a hidden softness that he probably doesn’t let out often. Every step of this walk has felt so natural and inviting, dispelling any urge I may have had to run back to the house and seek refuge in my nest. If anything, everything feels like a seamless symphony, perfectly synchronized and surprisingly effortless. I can’t help but be taken aback by the immense difference between what I’m experiencing now and the uncomfortable first outing I had with Victor.
This is what it should have felt like when Victor asked me out. I shouldn’t have felt apprehensive or wanted to be anywhere but there. Shouldn’t have wanted to not be around him. I might have felt a little hesitant when Zeke asked for this walk, but everything inside of me urged me to say yes.
When we reach the end of the trail, we end up at a small pond far enough at the back of the property that I can just barely see the house when I look back. There are two benches, evenly spaced out a few feet away from each other and the water, and both men lead me to the left one, waiting for me to sit before they do the same on either side of me. The sun is sliding down in the sky, the entirety of it changing from that clear sky blue to a mosaic of pinks, oranges, and purples.
“Beautiful,” I whisper out unintentionally as I stare up at the real-life watercolor painting, wondering if Ripley could ask River to paint my ceiling in the nest to mimic this.
“Yeah,” both men murmur at the same time, startling me from my reverie.
When I look at them both, they’re not looking at the sky, but at me. Once again, I can feel the telltale signs of a blush creeping its way up my neck and to my cheeks as my skin heats. Glancing back at the sky doesn’t help because I can stillfeeltheir eyessearing into me, and I squirm in my spot, incidentally brushing my thighs against each of theirs.
“She’s downright adorable when she blushes, isnae she, mate?” Zeke utters, only further brightening my already flushed complexion.
“Can’t say I’ve ever seen anything cuter in my life,Hermano,” Manny mumbles.