Project Apollo: Book Two ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jason Archer

I smiled as I curled closer to...

When I opened my eyes, I screamed.

He screamed.

We both were screaming.

Axton fell off the side of the bed, whining before he popped up with tired eyes that were glaring at me. "What the fuck?! I was all cozy, and you decided to scream in my face. What was that for?!"

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Apollo went to make breakfast, so I saw an opportunity! I'm an opportunist, Jason!"

I grabbed the pillow and hurled it at him. "I woke up to you when I fell asleep with Apollo! I think my screaming is justified!"

Someone rushed through the door–several someones. "What is going on?!" Emery squawked. "Oh." He sighed. "Goddamn it, Axton. You can't sneak into Apollo's bed until you tell Jason to expect it. Get off the floor. Come on."

"What happened?!" Oh, that one was Apollo. I twisted around and glared daggers into his face. "Oh. Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh?!" I flailed my arms. "You abandoned me with the Mini Devil!"

Apollo pressed his lips together before swapping his gaze to Axton. "Ace, you really have to give people a heads up."

"Oh, hell no! This is not my fault! I have been very open about my cuddling needs!"

I climbed off the bed, snatching the blanket when Axton reached for it. "Mine!"

"You...Dick! Get back here!"

I stomped off to the bathroom and shut the door. I glanced in the mirror, finding it within myself to smirk at Axton's antics before I looked away. A step was always a step–no matter how small it was. I'd been practicing like my life depended on it, and every single day, it got a little easier.

After I folded the blanket and stuffed it in the bathroom closet for safekeeping, I quickly took a shower and went through my skincare. I'd only been able to force myself to do the first step while using a mirror to assist me, but I haven't made it further than that. But it was far more than I could do almost a month ago. No one could do the work for me–I had to be willing to get better. And I was.

After last night, when Apollo did nothing but tell me how perfect he not only found me, but my heart–it became a little easier to breathe after everything that transpired between us. Now, all I could was smile privately at the thought. If I thought I was worked up when we first kissed, it was nothing compared to now.

Sighing, I glanced at the standing mirror beside the massive one sitting over the sink. I wanted to get further in my healing process. No matter how painful it was. Because no matter when I did the healing–it would still be painful. It wasn't going to magically disappear.

I flicked my gaze to the closed bathroom door, lost in thought. The person who assisted me in the difficult hurdles of my healing was none other than my boyfriend. That was still going to take some getting used to, and it had been a week now. A week and I only saw him for one day of it–counting last night. I'd missed him, but I didn't want to force myself into his presence. We were still learning about one another–it was normal to be uncertain.

But I did wonder if he'd...

"Apollo!"

He was at the bathroom door in the next second, but only spoke through the closed door. "What's wrong, Cariño?"