“I don’t have to pretend,” Rafe replied without hesitation, his brow furrowing like I’d said something crazy. “I give a lot of shits about you.”
I swallowed thickly as Skye’s hand rubbed down my back soothingly.
“What do you want?” Skye asked quietly.
“I wanted to make sure you were both okay,” Rafe said, lowering his voice slightly. “I feel like there’s some things we need to talk about. We’re all in this Chain together, like it or not, and the rejection–”
Wyatt made an indignant sound at the back of his throat, and we all looked to him.
Skye pursed her lips before looking away. “Well, three of us are in this Chain,” she said softly. “Wyatt doesn’t want to be here.”
Zephyr’s eyes were now wide open as he looked back and forth between Wyatt and his sister. “I’m sorry,what?You forgot to mention that part. Yourejectedhim?”
“He rejected her first,” I said. Zephyr’s eyes widened even further.
Skye tensed as she hugged her arms. “Sorry, Zeph. I have a lot of feelings about it.”
Zephyr nodded in understanding, his expression softening.
Rafe cleared his throat. “Did I hear you correctly – there’s onlythreeof us in this Chain?”
“Oh, God. He can’t even count. Nevermind, Skye. He’s not funny. Youwouldget matched to a dumbass.” Zephyr groaned. I snickered again.
Skye bristled, ignoring Zephyr and keeping her attention on Rafe. “You, me, and Aiden.” Her eyes narrowed. “And you’re amaybe. Who else did you think was in this group?”
Both Rafe and Wyatt flicked their gazes toward Zephyr. It was justfor a moment, something that would have been missed with a blink, but we all saw it.
Zephyr suddenly burst into loud laughter, bracing himself on the wall to keep from falling onto the ground. Skye winced at the sudden loudness, but the color drained from her face as I ran my hand down her arm soothingly, andthenI realized what was going on.
“Oh,” I said slowly, looking at my Link-mates. “Oh, you two aresostupid.”
Zephyr began to settle, saw the confusion across Rafe and Wyatt’s faces, and then he howled even harder, pressing his face into his forearm against the wall.
“Will you stop?” Skye hissed at him.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Zephyr whimpered. “I have to see their faces when you tell them.”
“What am I missing?” Rafe asked, looking to me.
I chuckled. “Zephyr and Skye are brother and sister.”
The color drained from Wyatt’s face and his eyes glazed over slightly, like he was going through every interaction he’d ever had with the two of them, trying to find where he’d missed the familial connection.
“You thought we were together?” Skye squeaked. “Oh, my God. You asshole! You never read my fucking file?!”
It was my turn to laugh. Wyatt really was the worst counselor ever, which I knew well. He’d spent all of first term trying to keep me away from Skye.
…I think.
“Are you kidding me?” Rafe hissed, turning his glare on Wyatt.
Wyatt’s head suddenly moved as Skye freed him.
“I…I didn’t realize…I didn’t…” He spluttered, shaking his head back and forth as if he still couldn’t believe it.
Zephyr continued to laugh for another minute or so while Rafe glared daggers at Wyatt, and Wyatt looked like his brain had short-circuited.
I could feel Skye’s growing irritation, not only at Wyatt, but also her brother. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, Skye snapped, “I’m out of here.”
