So Rare (Boys of South Chapel #3)

42. Levi

Chapter 42

Levi

NOW

The kitchen is chaos—laughter and chatter, with music playing in the background as well. Everyone has gathered in the space, and although there’s plenty of room around the long granite island, it feels crowded, but in the best way.

There are twelve of us here—the five of us, Joey, all her guys, and Mrs. Lansbury and Gerald.

I make a mental note to ask Spence if he caught the older two getting up to anything last night. Partly because I’m nosy. But also because I like the idea of it never being too late to find love.

Fucking hell. I sound like a lovesick puppy. G and all his romantic tendencies must be rubbing off on me.

I’m seated on a barstool, taking it all in and nursing a mug of coffee that’s more flavored creamer than sludge. Joey makes that shit strong, and apparently, there’s no room for compromise between her and her coffee.

Kylian is seated two stools down, tapping away on a device with another sitting on the counter in front of him. He has these low-profile earplugs in his ears that, from what I can tell, drown out the noise and chaos that surrounds us.

Locke comes over and wordlessly places an enormous plate of bacon in front of Kylian. The man with glasses tips his chin in acknowledgment but doesn’t take his eyes off the screen he’s concentrating on.

A second later, Decker appears and places a glass of water and a cup of juice in front of him, then snatches a piece of bacon off his plate.

There’s an assuredness to the way they operate. Like they all know their roles, and they’re willing to fill in the gaps for one another when needed. As I survey Joey and the men attached to her, I see it. How it could work. How there’s so much love between them. How they respect each other’s boundaries, too.

I’m not sure whether their dynamic is as involved as our is and is growing to be, but I want what they have. Desperately. I want to be with all of them: Hunter. Greedy. Kabir. Sione, too. Even if what we share is strictly platonic, I want him in the mix as well.

I was an asshole when Si arrived, but it didn’t take long for me to see how he slots in perfectly with the rest of us and makes us even better as a unit. He’s calm and nurturing. He has this wisdom about him that I admire; he’s the antithesis of toxic masculinity. He’s clearly comfortable with himself, but also great at making others feel comfortable, too.

Plus, he’s wise. And he helped my best friend figure out something he may have grappled with unnecessarily for years to come.

I heard the two of them talking last night.

I don’t think I caught all of their conversation, but I definitely caught the part that matters. When I woke, I kept quiet, which I feel a little ashamed of. I wasn’t sure if it counted as eavesdropping, or if it would have been ruder to interrupt.

My chest constricts with emotion when I remember their words. Greedy’s revelation. The sensations only compound when I think about the implications of that revelation for us.

My best friend is bisexual. He’s also demisexual. And he picked me . He wants me. Greedy loves me.

“This is something, isn’t it?” G says, coming to stand next to my barstool.

Under the lip of the counter, I reach for his hand. He lets me take it, his smile timid but warm as I interlace our fingers and use my grip to pull him closer.

Once he’s standing between my open thighs, I grin back, then survey the kitchen and assess the scene.

Sione is sitting on the opposite side of the island with one arm pulled out of his T-shirt, showing off his ink to a fascinated Locke. Kylian appears to be paying attention to them now as well. My suspicion is confirmed a few seconds later when he removes the noise-reducing earplugs from his ears, hops off the barstool, and makes his way over to them. I didn’t know Kylian was into ink, but maybe he’s more than meets the eye. Hell, maybe he even has a tattoo himself.

Hunter is stationed near the stove, holding a cup of tea in both hands. She’s talking with Kabir and Decker, and judging by their serious expressions, they’re deep in conversation.

Joey and Kendrick are in their own little world, with his arms wrapped around her from behind as they lean against the fridge and he whispers in her ear. He walked in a few minutes ago, fresh from conditioning on campus. When he arrived, she ran into his arms with so much fervor I was afraid she was going to knock him on his ass. I love how they love each other. It’s loud, unapologetic, and without limits.

The chaos, commotion, and genuine love that fills this room is more beautiful and complex than anything I’ve ever dreamed of having for myself.

Admittedly, I never thought I’d get to have anything close to this. Being an only child born to shitty parents, I had no sense of place or belonging when I was a kid. Nothing ever felt like this.

“Yeah. This is something,” I say, my throat clogged with emotion. This is love personified. This is unconditional commitment. This is something I get to call mine. This is family .

“Whatever happens today, we’re solid.” Greedy squeezes my hand for emphasis, holding my gaze until some of his conviction washes over me as well.

We’re solid. And we’re only going to get stronger from here on out.