Falling Star: Book 2 of The Orion Series

Love Is...

**CONTENT WARNING** Graphic sex scene.

"There's some things I need to tell you," I tell Orion through my tears. "Before we talk about Amy, okay?"

"Tristan!" he snaps at me.

"She's alive."

He lets out a deep breath and leans his head against the back of the bed. He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Thank God..."

"Orion," I say, and I start to lose my shit. He looks at me, alarmed.

I hate doing this to him. I've never lost control in front of him before. I'm the strong one. I'm the rock in this relationship. He's the one that's allowed to fall apart. He's my delicate black rose, my little black kitten. I can't be weak, but I can't be strong right now, either.

"I thought you were gonna die. And there's a lot of things I've been holding back because I thought they were too mushy, or I was afraid of how you were going to react."

He tilts his head to the side.

"So--so I'm sorry I'm being selfish right now, and we'll talk about more serious things in a minute here, but I thought you were gonna die Orion, and I need you to hear these things before you die because it's important."

"Tristan," he tells me gently, stroking my face, "I'm not dying any time soon."

"It doesn't matter," I sob and take his hand, and I'm crying so hard I don't know if he can understand me, and I can barely understand myself, and my side hurts and I'm worried I'm going to rip out my stitches with how hard I'm crying but I can't care right now.

"You might. I was holding you and I thought you were dying in my arms, Orio, and you kinda were. This made me realize how anything can happen, and that there's a lot of things I never told you, things that you need to know, and just--"

I put my forehead on his bed and I can barely get the words out. I shut my eyes tight. "Just, fuck Orion, I love you so fucking much and I'm sick of almost losing you."

Orion strokes my hair over and over, letting the emotional baggage I've been carrying since the crash pour out. I'm a wreck, but if I'm going to be a blubbering mess in front of anyone, I'd like it to be Orion. All I can manage out for a few minutes is, "I love you", over, and over, and over again, and I've never said three words with more truth in my entire life.

~

"Orion!" Amy calls from downstairs a little while later after the fight.

"What?" Orion yells back, an arm draped over his eyes.

"Where are you?"

"Upstairs."

A pause. "Are you fucking?"

"Amy!"

I crack up.

"Well I don't know! I mean, I walked in on you guys once already--"

"We're not," Orion snaps.

Moments later Amy comes barreling through the door. She flings herself at Orion and they both tumble backwards onto the bed, landing on top of my legs.

"Jesus, Amy!"

"I'm sorry," she says immediately, still hugging her brother around the waist. "I loved your last album, I pre-ordered it, and I'm on your Elite fan list so I got the free digital download, too."

Orion chuckles.

"I was just spewing at you what the critics said about Reverberation and Glass Houses, I don't believe it. I was just trying to be nasty and argumentative."