Ground Zero (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ground Zero

Chapter Twenty-Five

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Dinner was... well, it was hard to focus on dinner with Zero seated directly across from me, staring at me with his copper eyes still wide blown so they appeared black. And his lips, fuck, they were slightly bruised and parted and so, so tempting.

And that thought right there, was not dinner with family friendly.

I diverted my gaze downwards and felt a blush rise on my cheeks. I had to stop thinking about that kiss and focus my attention on my half eaten plate of dinner which consisted of mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and seasoned chicken with gravy.

Plus, thinking about Zero in that way was nowhere near careful.

In fact, it was the complete opposite of careful. That kiss could ruin not only myself, but Zero and our family. Like Mia had said earlier, Zero was now part of the Pickett family, regardless of his different last name and his late, but welcomed arrival. Without a doubt in my mind, Mia and Landon saw Zero as their son. Just as they saw Harriet and I, as their daughter and son.

Blood meant nothing to Mia and Landon. That's just the type of people they were. Good people. They were such good people, but there was a limit and what transpired between Zero and I, that kiss which wasn't anywhere near harmless and that may pass their limit.

Zero was technically my foster brother now. Harriet's foster brother. Jack's foster brother.

It wasn't incest, but the fact that I would have to explain that to people caused goosebumps to rise on my skin and a bile filled lump to form in my throat. How would that make Mia and Landon look? Fuck, how would they feel?

Their foster sons being intimate together... Jesus, crack open the onslaught of therapy or the send off to boarding school or even worse, the disownment and boot back into foster care.

There was a reason Mia and Landon never fully adopted Harriet and I, and kept us as foster children. The monthly payments and choice. I know, it sounded bad, but let me explain. Mia and Landon didn't spend the checks sent to them like other foster families did to help support the children they fostered. No, Mia and Landon placed those checks into a savings account.

One for Harriet and yours truly.

Call it a fail safe if you will.

Once we turned eighteen, Mia and Landon would give us complete access to our own saving accounts. They urge us to use the money for college or university. You know, to become successful in the world unlike our biological parents and make something of ourselves. Also, once eighteen, the choice came into play. The choice being to accept and allow Mia and Landon to legally become our parents.

We may have their last name, but there was still a few I's to dot and T's to cross on the legal adoption paperwork.

"Zero? Aren't you hungry?" Mia asked, rerouting my attention back onto Zero who still, was staring at me. Food on his plate untouched.

He didn't switch his gaze over to Mia when he murmured a soft. "Very."

I could feel my face burn and I choked on my breathing, hastily picking up my glass of milk and took a hearty gulp. Now instead of one gaze, I had four more staring me down.

"Hazel, are you okay?" Landon asked in concern, reaching a hand out to place on my shoulder. I swallowed the gulp of milk and cleared my throat, rubbing at my sternum. Instead of a verbal response, I gave a nod of my head.