Carved in Her Bones

now-peter

The weeks after Berlin were surreal in the best way. Rhian moved in with me—or rather, she simply didn't leave my place, which I didn't mind. She never even moved her things from the dorms, even though she kept paying rent there. She offered to chip in here too, but I wouldn't hear of it. It wasn't about the money; it was about making sure she felt tied to me. She even started talking to the interior designer about her new Berlin apartment, getting my input on every little detail.She cooked atrociously spicy meals, played the piano daily, and laughed often. She was more beautiful that way—happier, fully consumed by me. She felt like an extension of myself, and every night we'd fall asleep together, comfortable in our strange, symbiotic happiness. She amused me endlessly with her thoughts—outrageous ideas about harvesting the moon for free electricity in Africa or about how we might be stuck in a matrix engineered by someone who'd forgotten to edit our world, leaving us endlessly happy. It was absurd, but it made me feel like we shared something deeper than anyone else could grasp. And I loved that.Rhian obsessed over the dinner party's details. I tried to tell her no one that important was coming, but she always replied, "These are our friends, our first time out." She acted like we'd been in hiding or existed in a separate universe. She made a ten-course meal but insisted on cooking most of it alone, though she recruited me for the tedious chopping and peeling. I happily obliged.Oliwia and Blaze came early. I'd seen Oliwia a few times back when I was trailing Rhian, keeping an eye on her. Jack showed up too, sulking and looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Simon arrived shortly after, and Rhian pulled me aside with a stern look in her eye. "Tomas," she whispered, "Simon's just a friend. Rein in your Klaus, okay?"I held back a laugh, touched by how well she knew me. "I'll try," I said, smirking, "No promises though."Clarissa came too, probably because I'd mentioned her several times, even though she'd met Rhian exactly once. Rhian had this strange streak of jealousy where Clarissa was concerned, though she never voiced it outright. Instead, she'd throw out pointed questions like, "So, what does her boyfriend do again?" Casual but sharp, like she was trying to read into this woman from my past. It always made me laugh. As if I could ever look at another woman the way I looked at her.Damion showed up with his latest fling, and Agathe was there too—Rhian called her a "filler friend," whatever that meant. Marco, who I suspected Rhian had paid for, also made an appearance. Despite being far richer than I was, Marco was a cheap bastard. Rhian had insisted on meeting everyone I could remotely call a friend.Rhian was giddy but nervous. She wore the black dress she'd worn in Spain, the one that made her look devastatingly consumable. She'd spent a long time on her hair, pinning it up carefully, and I was careful not to say anything that might break her stride.The night went on, with conversations flowing from wine to travel and family. Rhian mostly stayed on the sidelines, quietly steering conversations with her thoughtful questions. She didn't need to dominate the space to be at the center of it.Her beauty had a quiet intensity that drew people in. She'd occasionally bite her lower lip when she was deep in thought, a small gesture that sent a wave of possessiveness through me, knowing she was mine.But I wasn't the only one watching her. Marco's gaze lingered too, subtle at first, but as the wine flowed, his attention on her became almost shameless. I couldn't punch him, though I wanted to, because Marco was my friend and because I'd promised Rhian I'd "rein in my Klaus." But I tried."Marco, could you stop eye-fucking my girl?" I growled when he wouldn't take his eyes off her."Come on, Tomas. Only a gay guy wouldn't look at her," he laughed, oblivious.I laughed too, but tightly, realizing the room had gone quiet. Everyone was watching. The tension was thick."Well, when it comes to her, you're gay. Be gay," I shot back, earning a laugh from everyone.Later, as the evening wound down, Rhian and I found ourselves alone in the bathroom. "You won't, like, leave, will you?" she asked softly as she sat there, and I brushed my teeth. Her question caught me off guard."What do you mean, leave, Rhian?""When I go to Berlin... you'll come visit, right? Or I'll come, and you won't, like, date someone else?"I kneeled down, meeting her gaze. "Baby, no. Of course not. There's never going to be someone else for me. I'll come see you, I promise."Her eyes were wide and vulnerable, as if everything in her life hung on my answer. "You promise?""I promise, baby."That night, she slept on top of me, not in a sexual way, just close, as if she needed to feel me beside her.The night before she left for Berlin, she asked if I wanted to come along. "It's just four weeks," she said, hopeful. "You could work remotely."I wanted to say yes, to keep her close. But I knew I had to trust her, trust what she felt for me. "No, baby, not this time. I can't. You need to know I trust you, and I know you'll come back to me. You'll be fine."I stayed with her in the apartment until Monday. I didn't say much, but I wanted her to feel that I'd always be there when she needed me.Berlin felt different this time. Rhian couldn't bear to be out of touching distance, clinging to me as if I might slip away. On Friday, we made love, slow and sweet, as if each touch was a promise.On Saturday, we went grocery shopping, mostly for ramen, her favorite. She ignored her mom's calls—she said she needed space from all the noise.The night before I was supposed to leave, she started vomiting. My heart sank, knowing this wasn't just a bug. She was sick with worry, treating this as some kind of final goodbye. It was absurd, but it was also a testament to her need for me.And that made me happy.