Until You (Off-Limits)

I stare at the bacon I’m frying, lost in thought. Noah is leaving today. Gray has repeatedly asked me to tell him, and I’m wondering if we should. The fears I have… I can’t keep hiding behind them. I can’t punish Gray for what Brad did to me. I’m going to have to learn to trust, to take risks. And Gray is worth it. Noah is right. If I keep being indecisive about our relationship, if I don’t give him back as much as he gives me, he’ll get tired of waiting. Rightfully so.

I look up when Gray walks into the kitchen. Last night comes to mind, and I smile as he walks up to me. “Morning, beautiful,” he murmurs as he pulls me in for a kiss. I rise to my tiptoes, my arms wrapping around his neck, and I sigh when he pulls away, my eyes on his. The way he looks at me… he can’t be faking that.

“Let’s tell him,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. Gray’s eyes widen, and I smile at him. “We can’t keep this a secret. I can’t lie to his face any longer. You’re right. You were right all along.”

Grayson smiles, and the happiness in his eyes makes the butterflies in my stomach come alive. I never knew what love was until him. I just thought I did.

“Gray, you really want to tell him, right? You aren’t worried you’ll change your mind? That maybe you just needed to get this out of your system?” I ask, unable to eradicate my insecurities.

He frowns and tightens his grip on me. “What the fuck? No. This is it for me, babe. You’re it. He’s going to find out at some point. Wouldn’t you rather we tell him now? The longer we keep it from him, the more we’re betraying him.”

I look into his eyes, searching for a trace of insincerity, but I find none. “Okay,” I whisper. “Let’s do it.”

Grayson breathes a sigh of relief and drops his forehead to mine. He pulls away reluctantly when one of the doors in the house slams. Noah walks into the kitchen, looking exhausted. He glances at the two of us, and Gray grabs my hand, his grip tight.

“Noah,” he says, looking my brother dead in the eye. “I’m in love with your sister.”

I tense. When I said we should tell him, I didn’t quite mean like that. I was planning on easing him into it a little more. Noah’s eyes move from me to Gray, and my heart races so quickly that I feel sick. I’m scared. I’m scared I’m taking something away from Noah. That he’ll feel like I’m betraying him. We both went behind his back, and I don’t want to hurt him.

Noah nods slowly. “I know.”

“I… you… what?” I stutter.

Noah crosses his arms and stares Grayson down. “I knew you were falling for her long before you did, buddy. Nyx? Aria has had an illustration of the goddess Nyx in her room for years. She uses that as her username on all her gaming platforms. I knew from the second you told me about her. I knew you were falling for her, and I knew you’d be done for if Aria started working with you.”

He turns to look at me, his expression unreadable. “What I want to know is how you feel, Aria.”

“I… I’m in love with him, Noah. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did.”

Noah looks away, and I swallow hard. “Are you in love with him or are you on the rebound?”

Gray tenses next to me, and I glare at my brother. “I love him, Noah. This isn’t a phase, it’s not a fling.”

He nods, his eyes moving between us. “Very well,” he says. “It’s about time.”

I blink in disbelief, and Noah chuckles. “Ari,” he says. “You’ve looked up to Noah for years. I’m pretty sure you’ve had a crush on him your entire adult life. You might not have been able to see it, but I did. When Gray was around, you turned into the little sister of my memories, the girl I thought I’d lost. The way you smile at Grayson has always been different. The way he made you come alive… I knew.”

He nods at Gray. “And you weren’t much better. Aria is the only other person you really talk to, the only person you’re patient with. She always has been. The way you look at her? It’s like my little sister hung the damn moon. Don’t think I don’t know you went to beat Brad up after talking me out of it. The protectiveness you’ve always felt toward her… it wasn’t brotherly. It never has been. I never minded it, though. Not if it’s you. You’re a great guy, Grayson, even if you can’t always see it yourself. I couldn’t have picked a better man for Aria.”

I relax against Gray, and he wraps his arm around my shoulder. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you straight away.”

Noah shakes his head. “It’s okay, Ari. This is your relationship. All I want is for you to be happy. You don’t owe me anything. Grayson might be my best friend, but I don’t own him. You don’t need my permission to date him. Besides, my two favorite people getting together? How could I be disappointed? Just don’t break his damn heart, because that shit would get awkward fast. I’m really not up for taking him out and having to hear him reminisce about you. Ugh.” He shudders, and I burst into laughter.

I walk out of Gray’s embrace and straight into my brother’s. He wraps his arms around me and presses a kiss on top of my head. “Just be happy, Ari. That’s all I want for you. You deserve the world, little one. It’s time you reach for everything you deserve, because it’s right there, within your grasp.”

I pull away, tears in my eyes. “Since when are you all philosophical?”

Noah looks away, a smile on his face, and I narrow my eyes at him. “You… you met someone! Didn’t you?”

Noah tenses, but he can’t keep the smile off his face. “It’s complicated, Ari.”

I gasp and grab his arms, a wide smile on my face. “Wow, there really is a girl, huh?”

He shakes his head. “She’s a patient, Ari. It’s really complicated. I can’t… even if I want to, I can’t be with her.”

He takes a step away, his eyes filled with frustration. He’s tense as he raises his hand to my face, brushing aside my hair. “Just be happy, okay? You be happy enough for the both of us.”

Who is this girl that’s got my brother looking so lost? He’s never focused on anything but his career. Whoever she is, she’s managed to capture his attention.

Gray looks at me and shakes his head, and I pout at him. How can I not question Noah? Gray throws one of his stern expressions at me, and I sigh, letting it go.

I look at Noah, unable to believe this is real, that I really could be this happy.

Maybe I was wrong all along. Maybe happiness does last.