Where My Demons Hide

Chapter Twenty - Eagle

I watched as my mother hug Dragon. She leaned back, framed his face only to hug him again.

"Mae!" Dragon protested.

But he was grinning proudly. Once the greeting was over, my mother insisted on cooking for us. When she left us alone, I got us drinks and we sat in the backyard.

"Where's Star?" I asked.

"Out with Ohm." Dragon replied.

"You don't like that." I leaned back in the chair and set my cup on the table. "Tell me. Is it because you're jealous or worried?"

"Jealous? Of Ohm?" Dragon shook his head. "No, they're friends. I'm just worried about everything that's been happening. We have a lead now that we're working on, but I hate letting him out of my sight."

"You're falling for him."

"I'm sorry, P."

Eagle arched a brow. "Sorry? What for?"

"Win was your brother." He cleared his throat. "Are you okay with me falling for another man? I know you say he would want me to move on—but there's this nagging feeling in the back of my mind."

"Dragon." I eased the cup out of the way. "I love you. Win's been gone a while now but you're still here. You've stepped into this brother role and I appreciate it. You've had my back. You've protected me. I'm not going to stand in your way for being happy—Win would kick my ass."

"P..."

"Dragon, let me ask you this. Please tell me you're not holding yourself back from this guy because you're afraid of losing Mae and I."

He hung his head for a moment before draining his cup.

"Listen to me," I said. "I told you before. But let me put this in another way you might understand better." I reached over and took his chin in my hand to lift his head. "Don't break this guy's heart because you're afraid to let go. Karma doesn't take too kindly to that. I'm giving you my blessings and Mae will too. Do you understand?"

Dragon met my eyes, and I could see the conflict raging through his gaze like a storm. When he nodded, I patted his shoulder and rose as Mae entered the room. We helped her bring out meal to the table and we sat around talking and eating. Not long after we cleaned up, Dragon received a phone call and had to go.

I walked him out to his cycle and watched as he climbed on, slipped on his helmet and rode off into the semi-darkness. He was a good man—I knew that the moment I'd met him. I remember wishing I could find one like him someday.

When he was with my brother, Win laughed more, he was kinder—he had always been kind, but with Dragon, Win was a better version of himself. No other man had brought that out in my brother and for giving Win such a great gift, how could I stand in the way of Dragon's happiness now?

Yes, my brother would have wanted someone else to experience the joy Dragon could give.

I only hoped Star deserved it.

As I turned to head back inside, my cell phone rang.

It was Ohm.

"Ohm..." I sat on one of the front steps to answer the phone. "How was your outing?"

"Good." Ohm replied. "How's the visit with your mother?"

"She's happy." I replied. "She had both her boys in the same house for a little while."

"I thought your brother..."

I smiled. "Yes, he did. But Mae considers Dragon her son now. She loves him like a mother would her own child. I don't dare say otherwise."