I bit my lip. “They deserve to know we’re leaving.”
“Agreed,” Ezra murmured, and tilted his head forward, biting my bottom lip and tugging. “But I don’t want to tell them about our marriage. I want to keep something just between you and me. Plus, for their own safety, they probably shouldn’t know.”
“Agreed.” I rubbed my nose against his. “We should probably start packing so we can leave before the sun comes up, when there aren’t so many awake yet.”
Ezra’s eyes roamed my face, his expression quickly setting with determination. “Then let’s get it done.” He helped me up, tossing me a t-shirt from his dresser. “That’s my favorite old shirt, so don’t forget it tomorrow.”
I put it on and stared down at the worn grey t-shirt, which read: Live Hard Or Die Bored.
I snickered. It was perfect. “Can I also borrow a duffle? Mine’s lost somewhere.”
He entered his closet and brought me an empty duplicate of his full one. “You’re already stealing my shit.” A cocky eyebrow rose as he pulled on a pair of pajama pants.
My eyebrows rose. “Need I remind you about my Hummer?”
He snorted. “Our Hummer.” Grinning at my cross expression, he grabbed his full duffle off the floor. “And besides, you may be rich…but I’m filthy rich. So quit complaining.”
I blinked as I watched him saunter into his closet. “What are you talking about?” I hadn’t thought he was poor, most Mysticals weren’t — even I had a decent amount for someone my age.
His laughter boomed from his closet. “Let’s just say, when I turned twenty-two I came into enough money to buy a small country.” A pause. “A few of them.”
My jaw dropped in shock. “You’re a trust fund baby?” I just couldn’t see it.
“Yes,” he stated factually. “And none of those forms you signed when we got married were a prenup, even though Judge waved it at me and told me I was nuts when I tore it up while you were talking to Jury about our wedding DVD. So when I said before what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours, I meant it.”
My heart kinda melted. I peeked around his door, grinning like a fool. “I love you.” He gave me a crooked grin over his shoulder before digging through his massive amount of clothes again. My lips twitched. “But the Hummer’s still mine.” I barely dodged the shoe that was thrown at me.
The sheets were changed, our bags were in our closets behind their respective closed golden doors, and Ezra and I were now stuffed on a portion of the enormous amount of grub Pearl and Jack had brought back with them. We sat on the love seat together while Pearl and Jack sat warily on the couch next to each other, staring at us after we had asked them to have a seat so we could talk. It was remarkable the shift that had occurred in them since we had first arrived here, when the news of their mates had literally crushed them, but together they had found an aspect of peace, even if it was new, telling by the way Pearl tentatively scooted closer to Jack, and by the way he carefully placed his arm over her shoulders, bringing her closer.
I watched how Pearl physically relaxed inside Jack’s gentle embrace, and I smiled softly. “I almost don’t want to tell them now.”
Ezra nodded, eyes just as quick as mine. “They’re damn sweet together.”
Jack scowled. “Quit analyzing us.” He pointed between Ezra and me. “You two don’t know how alike you are. You sit the same way,” huh, guess we were, “You watch people the same way,” I already knew that, “Hell, you even tilt your heads the same way,” I had noticed that a few times, “and it’s like you two have telepathy the way your brains work the same way, finishing each other’s sentences and automatically knowing what the other’s going to do.”
Ezra and I both grinned.
Pearl snorted. “It’s kind of disgusting, really. If any couple in this room gets the sugary sweet award, it’s definitely you two.”
Ezra’s lips twitched — same as mine — as we watched Jack become still, before his head swung to her.
His eyes danced all over her face, asking, “You want to be a couple-couple?”
Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip, her English accent becoming heavy as she stuttered, “Well…maybe…if you…you know…would like to?” And damn, if her eyes weren’t earnest.