Chapter 85

Chapter 85
Nephele's POV

I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to focus on Kaedan's ice-blue eyes instead of the dozen catastrophic scenarios spinning through my mind.

"You're right," I said, my voice steadier. "I'm spiraling."

"Talk to me," he said softly. "What's really scaring you?"

The question made me pause. What was I actually afraid of?

"I'm scared that Gregory will think he has to choose between staying here or letting us be together," I said finally. "He's just started to feel safe, to believe that he belongs somewhere. What if he thinks our relationship means there's no room for him anymore?"

Kaedan was quiet for a moment, his thumbs tracing gentle circles on my shoulders.

"You know what I think?" he said finally.

"What?"

"I think you're underestimating him." His voice was patient but firm. "Gregory survived twenty-two years of hell, broke free from magical conditioning, and has been rebuilding his entire identity from scratch. You really think our relationship is going to destroy him?"

Put like that, my fears seemed almost insulting to Gregory's strength.

"It's not about whether he can handle it," I said. "It's about making sure he knows his place here isn't conditional on anything. That he's family, period."

"Then we tell him that." Kaedan's hands slid down to cup my face. "We talk to him, ask what he needs, let him be part of figuring this out instead of making assumptions about what's best for him."

The simple logic of it made something loosen in my chest. "You're right. I was doing it again—trying to protect him from things he might be perfectly capable of handling."

"We both do it," Kaedan said. "It's hard not to when you care about someone who's been hurt."

Outside, I heard the front door open and close—Gregory coming back inside. The sound made my heart rate spike again.

"What do we do now?" I whispered, suddenly very aware that we were naked and tangled in sheets while my brother was probably wondering why we'd disappeared.

"Now we get dressed and act like normal adults," Kaedan said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "And we stop overthinking every single thing."

"But what if—"

"Nephele." His voice was gentle but firm. "One crisis at a time. We don't even know if Gregory's upset about anything."

I heard footsteps in the kitchen, the sound of running water. Normal evening sounds, no different from any other night this week.

Maybe I was borrowing trouble where none existed.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath. "You're right. Let's just... see how it goes."

"That's my girl," Kaedan smiled, reaching for his scattered clothes. "Besides, avoiding him all evening would be way more awkward than just facing whatever this is."

I pulled on my shirt, then paused. "Kaedan?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For not making me feel crazy for worrying about him."

"Thank you for caring enough about him to worry," he replied, pulling on his jeans. "It's one of the things I love most about you."

The warmth in his voice made my chest tight with emotion. This was why it was worth the fear, worth the uncertainty.

As we finished getting dressed, I realized the cottage had gone quiet. No more sounds from the kitchen.

"Think he went to his room?" I asked.

"Only one way to find out," Kaedan said, offering me his hand.

I took it, and together we headed for the bedroom door.

The hallway was dim, lit only by the kitchen light. When we emerged, I could see Gregory standing at the sink, his back to us as he washed what looked like paint brushes.

He glanced over his shoulder when he heard our footsteps, and I braced myself for awkwardness, questions, or judgment.

Instead, he just smiled.

"Hey," he said, turning back to his brushes. "How was your... talk?"

The casual tone, the careful word choice, the fact that he wasn't making eye contact—he definitely knew what had happened, but he was trying to make it as comfortable as possible for all of us.

"Good," I said, surprised by how normal my voice sounded. "Really good. How's the painting coming?"

"Finished the cottage piece," Gregory said, setting the clean brushes aside to dry. "Started working on something new. Abstract stuff—lots of shadows and light."

He turned around then, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. For a moment, none of us said anything.

Then Gregory's mouth quirked into a small smile.

"So," he said, looking between us. "Are we going to pretend this isn't happening, or are we going to talk about it like adults?"

The directness of the question caught me off guard.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked carefully.

"Whether this means I need to start looking for my own place," Gregory said, his tone light but his eyes serious.

My heart clenched. "Gregory, no. Absolutely not."

"Because if you two are together now—really together—you're going to want privacy. Space. I don't want to be the awkward third wheel cramping your style."

"You're not—" I started, but Kaedan's hand on my arm stopped me.

"Can I ask you something, Gregory?" Kaedan said.

"Sure."

"Do you want your own place? Not because you think you should, but because it's something you actually want?"

Gregory considered the question seriously. "Honestly? Not yet. I like it here. I like having Nephele around, knowing I'm not alone. But I also don't want to be a burden or make things complicated for you guys."

"You're not a burden," I said firmly. "You're family. That doesn't change because Kaedan and I are together."

"Okay," Gregory said. "But what if you want to... I don't know, move in together? Get married? Have kids? I can't live in your guest room forever."

The questions were practical, reasonable. They were also about a future I hadn't even let myself think about yet.

"Gregory," Kaedan said quietly, "we just figured out we want to be together about two hours ago. I think we can handle the long-term planning as we go."

"Right," Gregory said, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm still learning how to do the whole 'normal family relationships' thing."

"We all are," I said. "But here's what I need you to know: whatever happens between Kaedan and me, you have a place here. Always. That's not negotiable."

Something in Gregory's expression softened. "Okay. I believe you."

"Good," Kaedan said. "Now, want some company while you clean up those brushes, or should we give you space to work?"

"Company's good," Gregory said, his smile becoming more genuine. "Fair warning—I may have gotten paint on the good dish towels."

"Tragic," I said solemnly. "Guess we'll have to use the mediocre dish towels."

Gregory laughed, and just like that, the tension broke.

Maybe this wasn't going to be as complicated as I'd feared.

Maybe we really could figure it out as we went.