“Break up?” I laughed. What did she think this was? “We don’t need them. It was you and me from the start. For years.” I reached for her, and she jerked away from my touch. Even her punishing hold on my leg vanished.
“Et tu, Brute?” Baz asked. I slid my fingers under my glasses and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Oh, please, like you two even like me,” I said.
“He does have a point there,” Nemo said. “So maybeyoushould be the one to fuck off.”
“No one is fucking leaving,” Bree practically screamed. We all flinched. “And if any of you fucking try … ” she began chuckling, “then I’ll kill all of us. We can all be in Hell togetherforever.” She had that look on her face she got every time she threatened to murder us out of love. It was somewhere between a psychotic break and mania-fueled rage, but with hearts around it.
“Fine,” I bit out. I ripped my glasses off, unrolled the window, and flung them out. Then I put the car in drive and peeled out. And as annoyed as I was acting, the tight knot in my stomach had finally relaxed. Bree had taken control from me, and I was relieved. We were staying together because she refused to let us part. No epiphany needed from me. No hard admittance.
“Should you be driving without your glasses?” Baz asked.
“I’m a vampire, Baz. They were for aesthetics.”
Baz gave a mock gasp. “I don’t even know you anymore.”
“Where are we going?” Nemo butted in.
“The grocery store to get real supplies. Then, my cabin.” I drove us into town and slid into a parking spot. I eyed Bree.
“We aren’t splitting up,” she said with narrowed eyes. I relaxed further. See? It wasn’t my choice, it was hers. I was stuck with them.
“They can come in the store too.” I looked at Nemo. “For Christ’s sake, take off the bloody shirt.”
“Glad we all agree,” Bree said with a pleased smile before I got out of the car and walked off. My hands shook as I pushed the hair from my eyes. As I said, being a therapist is annoying because I knew when I was feeding myself bullshit.
6
NORMAL GROCERY SHOPPING
BREE
“Are you two okay?” I asked once Orson closed his door.
“Peachy as fuck,” Baz said, turning another page of the journal.
“Do you have to read that right now?”
Baz clicked his tongue, closed the book, and looked at the glowing store in the night.
“You want to talk about Orson?” Baz asked. “Surprise, surprise. He wants to leave. I’m not surprised. Are you surprised, Nemo? Who needs him? Obviously not me. Don’t need anything. Definitely don’t need family. But admittedly, it stings just a little when they decide to forget I even exist. Hazel had been the only Fury family member who didn’t see me as—Fuck.” Baz cut himself off quickly. Groaning loudly, he slid down in the seat. I swallowed thickly.
“Um, Nemo?” I asked.
“Orson doesn’t make choices flippantly. He’s a strategist.”
“What are you saying?” I asked.
“Orson was right,” he said, and my heart stopped. “Things aren’t working.”
“Nemo,” I begged. His dark eyes looked into mine. God, how did this all go to shit so quickly?
“I’m not leaving,” he assured. “No one is.”
“Then what do you mean?” I asked. His eyes slid to Baz.
“Things are going to change. They have to.”
