Page 136 of Should Our Stars Collide

He wriggles out of Ash’s hold and sits up. “Isn’t that up to me?”

“No.”

This motherfucker...

“Kombucha.”

Ash sighs. “I’m not telling you this as a Dom. I’m telling you this as your boyfriend. You’re not coming with me.”

Kieran crosses his arms on his chest. “As your boyfriend, I have my free will, and I can do whatever I want.”

“You can.”

That…was suspiciously easy.

“Where’s the lunch? And when?” Ash gives him nothing. “Fine. I’ll find out anyway.”

“Good luck.”

“I’ll follow you. Like a bad smell.”

“I’ll tie you up.”

Kieran laughs, but the humor quickly leaves him. “You wouldn’t.”

Ash—no kidding—pulls a bunch of ropes from under the bed.

Stupefied, Kieran mutters, “I hate you.” He gets out of bed and starts pacing, switching on a lamp when he stubs his toe. “It’s so not fair. You do all this stuff for me, and I can’t do anything for you!”

“No one’s ever done as much for me as you, Kieran,” Ash continues to lie his ass off. He sits at the edge of the bed, hands folded in his lap. “I know I act like I have it all figured out, but I don’t. I just don’t like not being in control.”

“As we know.”

“But there’s one thing I’ve never been able to control.” Kieran stops pacing, wanting to hear what Ash is so graciously willing to share. “No matter what I did, I could never keep certain people in my life.”

“You mean romantically, right?” Because Ash issurroundedby people. He has that annoyingly magnetic charm that pulls them in.

“Yeah. You’d think that with my ability, I’d be able to give anyone whatever they wanted. I’d automatically know what it is that they want.” Then his face changes into something Kieran never thought he’d witness: self-loathing. “It took me a while to realize that it was no use. Because what they wanted wasn’t me. Or rather, what I had to offer wasn’t what they were after. No superpower in the world could change that.”

This…hurts. On a whole new level. It’s not only having to listen to someone you love talk about themselves like they’re worth less than trash. It hurts all the more because it’s like Kieran’s listening to himself.

So this is what Ash meant when he said it hurts when Kieran talks shit about himself. He gets it now.

“You changed everything, firecracker,” Ash continues. There’s so much love and wonder in his voice, Kieran has no idea what to do with it. “I never had anything that was truly mine. Not until you came along.”

The picture comes together, puzzle piece by puzzle piece. Their stories might have the same roots, and their wounds might be more similar than Kieran could have ever imagined, but what they need in order to heal is different. Where Kieran has always been looking for a place to belong, for someone who’d want him to stay, Ash has been looking for someone to give his all to. Someone who’ll need him.

Kieran couldn’t see it before, driving himself crazy trying to explain why someone like Ash would be so drawn to him. Trying to explainwhyhecould never bring himself to push Ash away.

He sees it now, clear as day.

Jesus, they really are perfect for each other.

“You make it sound like I’m just a thing to you. Something you can own,” Kieran throws back, partially to mess with him.

And partially because even through his rose-colored glasses he recognizes the dangers of Ash’s possessive streak. After all, heisa control freak, and he loves being right. He likes beingobeyed.That shit can get nasty.

Ash sits up tall, expression as serious as it can get. He offers Kieran his hand, waiting patiently until he takes it. He brings him close, pressing his thumb into the base of Kieran’s ring finger. His gaze is intense, impossible to look away from.