The relaxed vibe in the room vanished.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Creighton
Levi entered the room like a giant bowling ball, his personality running over everyone and everything in his way. A movie had already been chosen and was playing, but Levi bounced around the room, greeting Blake, then the Beauregard roommate. He jerked his chin up at the Nogoskeski boy and ignored the last roommate. Marshall Finch.
He gave the Yakuza roommate a look but chose to ignore her as well. She seemed fine with it, continuing to eat her food as if there’d been no interruption.
Blake hadn’t touched her food, and I moved behind her, my hand grazing the back of her neck. “Are you not hungry?”
She moved into my hand, her eyes warming as she tipped her head back to look at me. “Waiting for you guys.”
“Fuck yeah. I’m usually of the mindset that food is food, but this shit is good. Where’d you order from?” Levi’s plate was overflowing. He put it on the floor by the empty game chair and went into the kitchen, coming back with two beers in hand. He offered me the second. I shook my head. I was reluctant to move away from Blake, enjoying the smalltouch even though I’d only left her bed twelve hours ago. It still seemed twelve hours too long.
“Oh. I made a margarita for you, Levi.” Beauregard got up, going into the kitchen to show him.
The Finch boy was barely concealing his hostility, which was affecting everyone in the room.
Levi came back, noticed, and was half amused, though he would grow tired of the disrespect. He’d shared that both of the boys were largely absent over the week, so he hadn’t had to deal with it in longer amounts of time. The Nogoskeski was also growing more tense, but with him, there was no concern. He would submit. He already had submitted the night they arrived at my fighting ring, and right now, he began giving his friend more and more looks.
A confrontation was coming.
It was just a matter of time. Finch would start it. When he did, Nogoskeski would be the first to rebuke him. That was a move Finch wouldn’t see coming, and he’d feel betrayed. Which would add to the pile of humiliation that was coming his way because when he would say something, he’d find he was alone in his opinion.
I took the empty seat beside Blake, seeing she was wearing my hoodie again. I liked seeing her wearing my clothing. I liked it a lot.
She ducked her head, knowing what my reaction was about. A small smile toyed at the corners of her mouth. She liked seeing this effect on me. Well then. More sweatshirts would be left for her.
Levi sat somewhat in front of me.
I drew Blake’s feet to my lap. She’d been watching me the whole time, a little tense, but she enjoyed that I was here. A roommate movie night with her boyfriend? I knew Blake was giddy inside, and I moved my thumb over her ankle. “Eat.”
She liked this experience. Pretending to be normal.
She wasn’t waiting for my permission to eat. That wasn’t why she’d been holding off. She’d been asking in her silence if I was going to light the match to the gasoline her housemate was pouring into the room.With my soft murmur, I let her know that I was here to play the good boyfriend part. I wouldn’t antagonize the Finch boy. She relaxed right after, her smile softening. She picked up her fork.
“Did you just tell her to eat?” the Finch boy sniped.
The Nogoskeski boy hissed first. “Marsh, leave it.”
“No.” He jerked a hand in the air toward me. “He fucking told her to eat. She doesn’t need permission to chew food.”
Palma let out a sigh, holding her plate with both hands, her jaw tight. “Marshall. Stop it.”
“No, you stop it, Palm.”
Levi slowly put his plate down as well. I spared him a look, knowing he wouldn’t launch his way into the argument on my behalf until I gave him the go-ahead. I moved my foot, touching his leg and holding it there. I wanted to hear how they would bicker. So far Marshall Finch was starting to get angry at being told to shut up by his own people. Blake was keeping an eye on me, but she knew I wasn’t going to strike, so she was happily enjoying her food. I gave her drink a cursory look, seeing she was enjoying that as well.
“Don’t snap at Palma,” Heath said.
For a moment, I toyed with a theory about why I bothered Finch so much.
Did he want Blake? Was I in the way of him?
Maybe. A part of that seemed right, but it felt there was more.
Was it about being in control?
