Page 92 of Should Our Stars Collide

Aaand he’s gone. Naturally.

Kieran switches the phone off,just in case, and flops onto his side, his heart still hammering from the epiphany.

It’s not until his gaze fixes on the wall, on the pictures of him and Ash, that it occurs to him he never went back to the guest bedroom.

22

I’m so whipped, Ash thinks resignedly, as he watches Kieran annihilate a stack of lemon-poppyseed pancakes like he’s just been rescued from a deserted island. Nothing new; but the sheer extent of his, well,whippedness,still shocks him. He just can’t help it. Seeing Kieran’s cheeks bulge out like a chipmunk’s while crumbs cling to his lips should be gross, not cute or endearing.

He just loves watching Kieran eat, especially when it’s something he’s made.

Maybe he has an untapped feeding kink?Nah, that’s not it. He likes seeing Kieran enjoy himself, period. Even if the source of enjoyment is carb overload. To be fair, Kieran deserves it after everything he’s been through. Ash is impressed by how quickly he’s bounced back from yesterday’s whirlwind of supernatural revelations. Yeah, sure, he holed himself up in their bedroom until dinnertime, but at least he’s still communicating. He hasn’t closed himself off.

To be honest, Kieran’s reaction to finding out about Cal’s true nature, and his friends’ supernatural traits, wasn’t what Ash was most worried about. What terrified him was Kieran’s reaction to the truth aboutthem,to finding out that what they have goes against everything he has built his personality around.

But Kieran surprised him. He might not have liked it, might have struggled coming to terms with it, but he didn’t refuse it. He didn’t run away. He’s still here, with Ash. Facing his fears.

He’s so brave.

I love you so much. The words nearly burst out of him again, so he shovels a forkful of pancakes into his mouth to give his senses something else to focus on, then washes it down with coffee.

“I need to drop by Cal and Dawson’s place today,” he says, almost snorting the coffee out at Kieran’s expression, frozen midchew. “Wanna sit this one out?”

Kieran resumes chewing, taking his sweet time to swallow. “What are you going there for?”

“I need to pick up Tequila.” He chuckles when Kieran’s eyes light up, and clarifies, “They were cat-sitting for us while we were away.”

Kieran’s shoulders slump. “I got excited for a moment. Forgot we have a cat. That hates me, apparently.”

“It’s not your fault. She’s just very possessive.”

“Of you?”

Ash shrugs. “What can I say; I’m popular with the ladies too.”

“Sure you are.” Kieran polishes off the plate, then says, “I’ll go with you.”

So brave.“Are you sure you’re ready?”

“To face the entity from the afterlife that is currently married to my best friend? Sure, no problem.”

“Well, you’re dating a mind-reader. That’s scary in its own way.”

“Mind-seer,” Kieran corrects. “But you’re right. Let’s get this over with.” He throws back the rest of his coffee and stands up.

Ash planned to go for a run first before heading over, but instead he just follows Kieran’s lead, his mind stuck on the fact that Kieran never objected to the dating part.

Standing on the doorstep of Cal and Dawson’s house, Kieran doesn’t seem as confident anymore. His right foot won’t stop tapping, and he’sdefinitely holding his breath.

“Guess Dee finally got his dream house,” he says, failing to sound casual. “Just missing a few screaming rugrats.”

Ash doesn’t tell him it’s going to happen sooner rather than later. Dawson hasn’t said anything, but his mind has been filled with the thought of kids for a long time. Given what a simp Cal is, there’s no way he’ll say no.

“You’ll end up being the godfather when that happens, so better brace yourself.”

Kieran does a double-take. “Hell no. I can barely take care of myself.”

“That’s true.”