“I know. I fucked up, Eve, and I owe you more than a two-word apology, but I couldn’t go any longer without saying that. It’s been killing me.”
It had felt wrong to fight with Ethan. “Sorry I ignored all your messages while I was away.”
I hadn’t done it deliberately, but at the same time I’d been totally unable to deal with more fighting and anger, so I wasn’t mad about it. But it wasn’t fair, when he’d only been trying to care about me. In his somewhat overprotective, dominant way.
He released me to stare into my face. “You had every right. I overstepped, and I was an asshole about it. It’s just…worrying about you makes me a bit crazy. It’s no real excuse, but the feral part of my brain kicks in when it comes to you.”
Popping up on my toes, I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I like the feral part, Eth.”
The green of his irises darkened as he stared at me, and it was only the hissing bubble of whatever he’d been stirring that broke through his focus. “Shit, the stew is about to burn.”
He grabbed the spoon again to stir, and I crossed around the other side of the bench, my soul lighter than it had been as I started to slice the crusty bread sitting on the cutting board.
We worked in silence for a few minutes, and when he called everyone into the dining room, I found it odd that of all the guys I shared a house with, Andrew was the only one I wasn’t a huge fan of. Not enough that I wished he’d fall off a cliff or anything, but I couldn’t imagine a scenario where I’d actively search out his company.
However attractive I found him at times, it didn’t make up for his annoying personality.
“What happened?”
I jerked, realizing I’d been glaring at Andrew, who hadn’t even bothered to notice me as he focused on stirring an already-stirred bowl of stew. Turning to Connor, who stared atthe bandage on my hand, I said, “Cut myself tiling. It’s nothing big.”
“She didn’t need stitches,” Haze added, “but it was close.”
Connor’s hard stare remained on the injury for a few extra seconds, but he didn’t say anything else.
Brodie got the conversation going as we all started to eat, and I almost missed his question as I devoured the delicious dish.Holy crap, Ethan can cook.
“Anyone up for a game tonight?”
Haze answered Brodie first. “Yeah, count me in.”
I hadn’t partaken in any of their Xbox battles so far, but tonight felt like a great night to start. “Sure, I’ll play.”
Everyone stopped and stared like I’d just flopped my tits out on the table, and it amused me that this was what had shocked them. “What? How hard can it be to run around and shoot people.”
I almost died when Andrew laughed. Like, he actually relaxed the stick up his ass and, looking like a typical hot, rich boy, threw his head back and laughed. “The girl who’s afraid of guns wants to play a game where you shoot people?”
Oh, right. I hadn’t actually picked up any first-person shooters since my attack, but surely I could handle a non-real-life situation that involved weapons. “You all think I need therapy to help get over my trauma, maybe this is a way to help. A slight desensitization.”
Andrew no longer looked amused, and weirdly, there was a flash of concern on his face before his features returned to impassiveness. “You might be right.”
The rest of dinner passed quickly, and soon I found myself on the couch, controller in hand, with a smirking Brodie on my right side. “You’re my girl, you know that, right?” he said.
It was impossible not to love this guy. “Hmmm, do I though?”
Brodie nudged me gently, before he pressed a kiss to theside of my neck, sending shivers to pool in my gut. “You’re my girl, Evie babe. And I need you to remember that.”
My head was fuzzy as he pulled away. “Why?”
His grin was wicked. “Because I’m about to kick your ass like you’re not.”
That statement should not have been as attractive as it was. “We’ll see, babe,” I shot back, hoping my skills weren’t rusty after all this time. “We’ll see.”
The others filed into the room one by one, Haze with scotch in hand, while Connor and Ethan had beers. They’d brought a can for Brodie too, but he was too busy gearing up his character in the hopes of blasting me to pieces.
Game on.
As I scrolled through the options to outfit myself, I found myself settling back into the familiar game like it had been hours and not almost a year since I’d last played. Brodie chose the map for us to head into, and while we waited for it to load, I brushed my fingers over the buttons to help with dexterity.
