Page 43 of Fractured Grief (Hope’s Ridge #2)

Seb

B eing completely inside of Indy had felt like a spiritual experience. We’d transcended time and space; it was just us and our pleasure. We’d become one, and having this with Indy was the best feeling in the world.

No one had ever been able to take my whole cock before, and Indy had made it look easy.

As he’d rocked on top of me, he’d looked like a debauched angel giving into the devil, letting me corrupt him and make him mine .

He was dirty in the best of ways and embraced his sexuality so fully as he took all the pleasure he wanted from my body.

It was hot as hell!

Gripping his small hips to help him bounce on my cock was an experience I’d never forget. To connect with Indy this way— I was forever changed .

This man, made of sunshine and positivity, had broken down my walls and made himself at home in my heart. I never wanted to let him go .

As we came down from our high, I enjoyed the feeling of him by my side as we snuggled and caught our breath. We should get cleaned up and ready for bed, but I didn’t want to break the spell.

Indy nuzzled my chest and let out a contented sigh. “I love you, Seb. I’m so glad I found you and took this chance.”

“You’re it for me, angel, and I’m so thankful to have you and Haze in my life.

” I meant every word. He was my forever, and I hoped he understood how serious I was.

“When you were younger, did you ever think about getting married? Like for real, for love rather than necessity. Is that something you’d want…

one day?” Wanting to add ‘with me’ but too scared to name it if marriage wasn’t something he wanted.

He shifted to look at me, resting his chin on his hands over my pec.

“I always longed to find a partner and a love that was just mine. To share my life, but I was so used to hiding who I was, I don’t think I ever thought about what a real marriage would be like for someone like me.

” He paused, his eyes assessing me. “Is that something you’d want? ”

“I’d love to marry you.” The words slipped out before I could stop them, and Indy’s eyes went wide. Scrambling to think of something to say, I croaked. “I mean, yes, I’d love to get married one day, but only if that’s something you want too.”

Indy’s body sagged, and I’ll admit that hurt a little. But I meant what I’d said—he was my forever, whether we got married or not .

“Honestly, it’s not something I’ve thought about.

I mean, Lex and I were married, but that wasn’t a romantic thing.

Our main reasons were for security, insurance, and in the hopes of getting Lexi’s family to back off.

They never did and never accepted our marriage, but we’d known it was a long shot with how vindictive and spiteful her mother was.

I’ve never had any examples of what a real marriage could be like.

Lexi said she never wanted to get married for real.

She always joked that I would be her one and only husband.

She only had her parents' marriage as an example, and that was warped enough. She wanted to escape and forge her own path, become independent and free.”

My heart settled at his words. Marriage wasn’t off the table; it just wasn’t something he’d thought about.

I couldn’t imagine not having good examples of loving couples around you.

Yaya and Papu had been deliriously happy even when they snarked at each other, and Ma and Pa were like they never left their honeymoon phase.

Pa worshiped the ground Ma walked on, and it was their love that inspired all of us, every day.

Maybe now that we’d talked about it, the thought would be in his head, and he might think about it more. I vowed to show Indy how much I loved him, every chance I got. We had forever, and if marriage wasn’t for him, then fine, but I would love him the way he deserved for as long as he’d let me.

We cleaned up and settled back in bed in our pajamas. Indy unlocked the bedroom door in case Hazel needed us. He was coming to Ma’s Sunday feast tomorrow, and I couldn’t wait to show him off to everyone.

I fell asleep with my arms around Indy and his small body tucked safely in front of me. He held my heart, and at times like this, forever didn’t feel like long enough.

Ma’s Sunday feasts were known throughout town and were packed and boisterous affairs, and today was no exception.

We’d visited the local thrift store and bought some extra clothes for Hazel and Indy so they didn’t need to worry about driving back and forth and could still come to Ma’s Sunday Brunch.

Hazel loved her new outfit as she twirled in her swishy skirt and leggings, giggling as the skirt spun out around her.

She paired this with a black and white, graphic long-sleeved tee and black fingerless gloves we’d found, with bright pink skulls on them.

She looked like a little grunge rocker right out of the eighties.

Her scarlet hair was in pigtails today, and she looked adorable.

Indy was in his work pants as he hadn’t been able to find pants that would fit his small frame.

He’d found a gray Henley and layered that with a T-shirt from the grocery store with Hope’s Ridge mountain range on it.

The t-shirt was geared to tourists, but Indy had loved it and said he wanted something to remember this weekend by.

I’d kissed his cheek at the sweet blush that had accompanied his words.

Winter was in full swing, and we’d all bundled up in coats and scarves before walking to Ma’s house. Ma lived two streets over, and as we rounded the corner, all the cars, covering the lawns and driveways, came into view.

This would be a packed event.

I led Indy and Hazel up the front steps and into Ma’s rustic Craftsman-style house. It was the house I’d grown up in and felt like home as much as my own house did, just in a different way.

We followed the sound of voices and greeted Bodhi, Ma, Yaya, and Lyric in the kitchen, where they were helping sort out the food. We then led Indy and Haze to the lawn and all the activity outside.

Kids of various ages played tag in the large backyard.

Kaydence was there as somewhat of a mediator, taking turns to tag the kids, too.

It was weird to see Kay playing with the kids without Lyric.

He noticed my arrival and came over to greet me, and I formally introduced him to Indy and Hazel again.

Kay knelt to Hazel’s level. “Would you like to play tag too? Or we could build a snowman? I can introduce you to all the cousins, and Lyric promised to come play with us soon, too,” he said, beaming at Hazel.

“Can I, Daddy?” She asked Indy .

“Of course, sweetheart.”

She held Kay’s hand as he made his way back to the group of kids, and he introduced them all to Hazel. She had come out of her shell a lot lately, and it was great to see.

“She’s surprisingly confident,” I commented.

“She is.” Indy squeezed my hand. “She used to be like this all the time when Lexi was alive. It’s nice to see her coming back to herself.” He smiled up at me, and I couldn’t help but press my lips to his.

“Get a room,” Lyric hissed right next to my ear, causing me to jump and nip Indy’s lip.

“Ouch,’ he exclaimed, still smiling.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” I ran my thumb over his plump bottom lip.

He nodded, and I thumped Lyric on the shoulder. “Hey! Not my fault you were necking in the middle of the walkway. I have precious food to distribute!”

I rolled my eyes at him, ever the shit stirrer.

Ma and Yaya appeared behind Lyric with more platters, and Yaya handed me the platter before letting out a loud whistle and shouting, “As fáme!”

Everyone hurried toward the tables, grabbing plates and filling them with food.

“What did she say?” Indy whispered to me as I led him over to one of the serving tables.

“She said, ‘Let’s eat’, in Greek. It’s a tradition at these brunches whenever all the food is ready, Yaya calls for us all to eat. ”

“As fame,” Indy whispered, trying but failing to pronounce the word.

“Cool, well, let’s eat and you can show me all the Greek delicacies again.

” He gazed at all the food like he was trying to remember what they were called and what he’d had before.

“Is there moussaka? That was so good.” The little moan he let out had me shifting on the spot as my cock twitched in my jeans.

I stood behind Indy and hugged him to my chest, whispering in his ear. “If that’s your response, I’ll get you all the moussaka you could eat just to hear how much you enjoy it.”

He moaned at my words and pushed back against me, eliciting a growl as he grazed my cock. I couldn’t get enough of him. I was addicted. I wanted to devour him again and again.

“Later,” he whispered teasingly before turning to face me. He kissed my cheek playfully before taking the empty plate I held.

I had to breathe deeply to get my body under control. “Tease.” I nuzzled his throat, relishing in his full body shiver, before grabbing a plate too. I stopped to tell Indy what each dish was called or what it was made of as we filled our plates.

Once our plates were full, we made our way to one of the set-up picnic tables with heaters all around, where Atty and Bodhi were already seated. They had their heads together, talking softly. They broke apart at our approach.

“Geia sou aderfé. Ya sou, Indy. It’s good to see you again,” Atty said as he reached over to shake Indy’s hand .

Indy looked perplexed. “What did you just say? It sounded beautiful.”

“I was greeting my little brother in Greek and saying hello to you. Sorry, we tend to slip in and out of Greek colloquialisms and greetings when we all get together like this,” Atty explained.

“So, how have you found Hope’s Ridge? Enjoyed your time here.

” Atty, of course, sent me a smirk—bloody brothers. I rolled my eyes.

“It’s been lovely. We’ve had a great time. I love the vibe here. Everyone’s so friendly and welcoming. It’s so different from what I grew up with.”

“Where’d you grow up?” Bodhi asked, and we continued chatting away for a while, enjoying the good food and even better company.

I loved that Atty and Bodhi were getting to know Indy and making him feel welcome. My heart swelled in my chest as Indy chatted animatedly with Bodhi. He was becoming part of the family just as much as Bodhi had.

Atty nudged my leg under the table and gestured at me to head inside. We excused ourselves, and I left Indy with Bodhi to continue talking.

“What’s up?” I asked as soon as we stepped into the kitchen. I could see Indy and Bodhi from the kitchen window as I leaned against the counter and waited to hear what my brother had to say.

“It’s so good to see you with someone. Indy’s good for you.” Atty smiled.

“He’s amazing. I’m so glad he gave us a chance.” I couldn’t help the smile that lifted my lips.

Atty nudged my shoulder, watching his man out the window too. “You’re so gone for him.”

“I am. I love him.” My cheeks heated at my blunt admission.

“That’s great news,” Atty exclaimed. “I’m so happy for you. Finding your person makes everything else that much better.”

We shared a smile.

“Well, what I wanted to talk to you about is in the same vein of love and partners.” He scratched nervously at the longer hair at the base of his neck, shifting from foot to foot.

We looked most alike with similar coloring and features.

We were also the closest in age, but even with all the weight and muscle mass I’d lost, I was still taller and bigger than Atticus.

Weirdly, that settled something inside me.

It was like a part of my identity came back to me, and a little piece settled back into place as I looked at my big brother, my best friend.

Atticus looked around cautiously before leaning in to whisper. “I’m going to ask Bodhi to marry me.”

The smile that overtook his face was so big that I couldn’t help but join in.

“Really! That’s fantastic.” I gripped Atty in a fierce hug, overjoyed for my brother.

I kept my voice low, knowing if Ma or Yaya caught wind of any of this, it would blow up and we’d never be able to keep it a secret. “When are you going to do it? Any ideas how yet? ”

“I have a few ideas.” Atty shared a secret smile. “But I wanted to tell you first. I was hoping you might help me.”

“Of course, anything you need.” And Atty proceeded to share his ideas and plans with me. I didn’t think my heart could be any happier.