Page 66 of Phoenix

Jule laughed. “I like how you think.”

“I didn’t come up with that, I actually saw it on Instagram,” she admitted. “But it’s true! Also, when he takes his vitamins, he puts water in his mouth before the pill. That’s unhinged behavior.”

“We have a very different viewpoint on people being unhinged,” Tor said. “Speaking of, how was the sex?”

Jule coughed out a laugh.

Lydia’s cheeks reddened. That wasn’t a typical conversation topic for them and probably for Lydia in general. But Tor’d always had a way of making people feel comfortable saying and doing things that were usually outside their norm when he wanted to. It was his bone-deep calmness, an absence of judgment, and a safety he had exuded even when he’d been six years old. He had a way looking at you, really looking at you, thatmade you feel genuinely seen, understood. People always felt free to be themselves when Tor focused that gaze on them.

“It wasn’t good,” Lydia said, nose scrunching.

“That should have been the end of it,” Tor responded.

“I hoped it would get better.”

“Did it?” Tor asked.

She shook her head.

“It never does,” Jule said. “When it’s right, it’s fireworks from the start. And when it’s not, it’s gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, flavor-free dessert forever.”

“Doesn’t sound like that’s something worth eating.” Tor looked at him in amusement.

“It’s not. Thank fuck that’s in the past. Oh, that reminds me.” He twisted to the side and smiled at Lydia. “We’re getting married.”

“Really? Oh my God!” She beamed at him. “That’s so exciting, Julian! Congratulations. Have you picked a date?”

“Sometime soon. Very, very soon. Dealing with the new house has already set us back longer than I wanted.”

“The good venues book out more than a year in advance,” she said. “I haven’t received a save-the-date card from you. I don’t think very, very soon is an option at this point.”

“And you won’t receive one.” He shuddered. “It’s not going to be that type of wedding. I’m deciding between going to the courthouse and having a ceremony, but even if we do, it’ll be super casual. I’ll text you details when I figure it out.”

“Text?” She blinked at him a few times. “That’s how you’re throwing a wedding? Barbara Sterling has to be losing her mind.”

“My mom offered to have a party planner handle it, but if that happens, I won’t want to go and Tor would make a run for it, so she’s not getting a say.”

“I can’t believe your mother is letting you get away with that. Mine would claw her pearls off if I tried it.”

“I told her Tor doesn’t have any say in it either. I think that took the edge off.”

She looked back and forth between them, eyebrows arched.

“He’s serious,” Tor confirmed.

“This is an unusual relationship,” she finally said.

“Yes, it is.” Jule nodded. “And the sex is fantastic. Win-win. That’s why I’m locking him down. Very, very soon.”

***

“Isn’t it, you know, dirty? I mean, you shit from there, man.”

Tor shrugged, not looking away from the game. “Not usually but, yeah, that sometimes happens.” He tipped his bottle against his mouth and took a swig of his beer. “It’s not a big deal. Like with any other shit, you handle it and move on.” He rubbed his hand over Jule’s inner thigh.

Titan scrunched his face in a disgusted expression.

“Oh, come on. When did you get so delicate?” Laughing, Tor lightly punched his brother’s shoulder. “Sex is supposed to be messy, princess. All the fun things are.”