Is that too much to ask?
“Goddess, do you guys do anything other than fuck?” Alloex rolls his eyes, but before he can complain again his brother cuts him off.
“Watch your mouth, Ex.”
Another eye roll from the boy and Chaos is still pinning him with a look as he sits down several baskets of dinner rolls. I eye each basket.
Yes, there’s clearly going to be more than just family here tonight.
“You like being her pet, don’t you, dickless?” Rime arches a brow at his friend while he watches Chaos work.
All he’s doing is helping me with the food, but Rime can’t stand not teasing him.
“I don’t know I think being favorite has it’s benefits.” Chaos pushes a big hand across my stomach, his calloused palm sending a shiver right through me.
The taunting back and forth between them is pointed, and I know they’re minutes away from wrestling one another to the ground if it continues.
“Is he your favorite?” Alloex askes with genuine curiosity about his brother’s relationship.
My lips part, my mouth opening slowly. Really, they’re all my favorite at different times of the day. Rime is my favorite when he shows me the side of him beneath the cold exterior of his personality. He makes me fall hard when he’s genuine. Kain is my favorite every single time he takes charge of any situation. He makes it easy to breathe, and all my emotions settle into place because I know he’ll take care of everything. And Chaos, Chaos is my favorite every time he shows me the good within all the terribleness of the world. Chaosisthe good within the terribleness.
Instead of saying all that adorableness to these sweet assholes, I bite back.
“Currently he’s my favorite, yes.” I nod like it’s completely obvious to everyone.
“Yes! This is what winning looks like, my friend.” Chaos gives an obnoxious wink to Rime that only makes the ice dragon shake his head slowly.
“What about earlier when you and Rime had sex?” I choke on air itself when Alloex says the word sex. “Was Rime your favorite then?” He tilts his head at me, but I know he’s just pressing our buttons now.
“Yes, Rime was definitely my favorite then.”
“Fuck, would you look at that…” Rime’s lips tip up in a cruel taunting smile. “…an underdog victory.”
My eyes roll hard, partly because of how petty this conversation is and partly because of how right Rime is in saying he’s an underdog.
“Anyway,” I drag out that word until they all look to me. “I have to finish dinner.” I slip out of Chaos’ annoyingly delicious touch. My back turns to their quiet murmurs and laughter, but before I can leave to go inside a sweet and innocent voice catches at my attention, steeling my spine the moment I hear it.
“Does it bother you that they’re both each other’s favorite? Does it bother you that you’re the third wheel in an otherwise perfect relationship?” Brylee’s hips sway as she comes a little closer, opening the white gate and letting herself right on into our lives.
I look from the blonde woman back to Chaos and then to Rime and Kain who are huddled around Alloex. The way Rime and Kain’s arms brush against the back of the chair makes them look like close friends.
Closer than Rime and Chaos really. But that doesn’t stop Brylee from spewing her judgmental thoughts all over me.
“Love and affection doesn’t work like that actually.” I stare at her, assessing every terrible thing about the woman before me. “Through all the teasing and all the laughter of favoritism, I know where I stand.”
“How do you know? Because they fuck you?” She hisses the words through tight lips like it’s a nasty thought to even say. “Just because they fuck you doesn’t mean they care about you. They’ll toss you aside and keep going with their lives together just like they always do.”
“That’s enough!” Chaos’ words are a roar that doesn’t even deter her gaze.
I blink at her for a few moments, but the rage inside me barely lets me processes her words. On steady steps I trail closer to her.
“I know that they care about me, because I’m here. And you’re there.” A smile that’s more cruel than amused carves my lips, and the sight of it only makes her scowl deepen.
A gentle hand brushes over the inside of my palm, not taking my hand in his but skimming at my hard-set attention until I finally look into the brightest red eyes. “Come inside. Your food’s almost done, Arrie.” I can tell Sinister is trying to pull me away from this incident.
He’s trying ease the tension in the least confrontational way. I’m trying to make a home here and he knows it.
He’s right. I need to go inside.
