Page 30 of Echoes of Desire

Steel glowers at her, but I can clearly see that he’s teasing. He’s even teasing Del. He never planned to leave this place until his girl was overly happy with his torment. God, I love my brother’s heart. I just hope Raven can see through his act.

Steel leans back in the chair with an exaggerated sigh, holding his hands out to the nail technician like they’re being forced against his will. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

Delphi grins from her spot beside Raven. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Steel shoots her a look that would make most people run for cover, but Del doesn’t flinch. She just beams at him, clearly enjoying his torment. “I swear, Del, you’re the devil in disguise,” he mutters.

Raven can’t seem to stop laughing, her whole body shaking as she watches the scene unfold. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone look so angry over clear nail polish.”

Steel narrows his eyes at her, but there’s no real heat in his glare. “Careful, Pet. You’re skating on thin ice.”

“Oh no,” Raven gasps dramatically, her laughter bubbling over again. “Whatever will I do if you scowl at me some more?”

I grin at the exchange, loving the way she holds her own with him. “You know, Steel, you’re really setting an example for the rest of those tough guys. Sacrificing your manly image for the sake of these girls’ happiness. It’s inspiring, really.”

“Shut up, Blaze,” he grumbles, but there’s a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The nail technician glances between us, her lips twitching as she tries to keep a straight face. “All done,” she announces, holding up Steel’s hand for inspection.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Del asks.

Steel glances at his nails, then at Del. “If this makes you happy, it was worth it,” he says, his voice soft.

I glance at Raven to make sure there isn’t any unwarranted jealousy, but she simply smiles at my brother.

Fucking perfect.

“Alright,” Del says, breaking the tension with a dramatic clap of her hands. “Who’s ready for round two? I hear they’ve got an opening for a couples’ massage.”

Steel groans, and I laugh as Raven’s cheeks flush. “Oh, I’m so not ready for that,” she stammers.

Steel stands, brushing off his jeans and throwing Del a glare. “You’re lucky I love you, Delphi Mae. No massage. I won’t have anyone rub down my woman. Even if it is another woman. Let’s go eat.”

I fall into step beside Steel as he shoves Reynolds and his card out of the way to pay for today’s festivities. Leaning close so only he can hear, I say, “Raven’s good for you, you know.”

He glances at me, his expression unreadable. “She’s good forus, Blaze. There is nome,and there is noyou.”

I nod, unable to disagree.

Without another word, I tap the right side of my chest twice, a silent gesture we’ve shared since we were kids. Steel mirrors the action by tapping his left, his gaze steady as it meets mine.

It’s something only the two of us understand. An unspoken reminder that we were never meant to be two. We were always meant to be three.

“Jasper, Jaxon.”

We look back at Raven only to see her looking around wide-eyed. She’s lost our faces again.

Steel walks back to Raven, his expression softening. “Right here, baby,” he says, his voice steady and reassuring. “I shouldn’t have left you like that. Next time, I’ll make sure you know exactly where I am.”

Raven’s shoulders relax slightly, but her laugh remains self-conscious. “It’s not your fault. This happens all the time. I just... I get turned around when I lose track of who’s who. It’s not exactly easy to explain.”

Delphi tilts her head, studying Raven. “Wait, is this the face blindness thing you mentioned earlier?”

Raven nods, her fingers twisting in her lap. “Yeah. I can’t really recognize people unless I connect them to something else. Like their voice, how they move, or what they’re wearing. When they stepped away, I just... lost them. Sorry”

Delphi’s brow furrows, and she reaches out to pat Raven’s hand. “Girl, you’ve got nothing to apologize for. Honestly, that sounds tough.”

Steel crouches beside Raven, drawing her attention back to him. “Do you lose our voices, too?”