Cyclone flashed me a smile.
Bitch.
“Did you get stung or not?”
Finn’s worried expression was the only reason I didn’t tell her off and beat around the bush. I sighed and winced, nodding.
“Yeah, I got stung.” I shuffled closer to Finn and wrapped my arm around his waist, laying a kiss on his cheek. “Are you dobbing on me already, Lolly?”
“Dobbing?” He frowned but didn’t give me a chance to explain what it meant. “You told me it was fine, and it’s clearly not fine. And now you’re pretending like you’re not in pain, and you are, so I asked Cyclone if even the smallest sting can hurt.”
“And Cyclone was honest,” Cyclone said. “Now you get your big arse into one of the guest beds and ride this out.”
“How bad will it be?” Finn stared up at me with those wide green eyes of his, bottom lip jutting out in a small pout.
Before I could answer, Cyclone did. “It depends on a lot of things. How bad the sting is, the person who was stung. This big motherfucker’s been through it before.”
“You’re such a lady.” I snorted in amusement when she gave me the middle finger.
“Anyway, his height and size are useful when getting stung.” She shrugged.
“Can’t we take him to the hospital for steroids or something? Like people get when they’re allergic to bees? There’s gotta be a shot for it.” Finn’s gaze darted between us desperately.
Mum clicked her tongue and moved forward, cupping his face between her hands and laying a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose. “Darl, there’s no antivenom for jellyfish. The only thing they can do at the hospital is treat the symptoms. We’ll keep an eye on him. If he starts getting a lot worse, we’ll call triple zero.”
“But—”
I hugged him before he could argue as another ripple of pain stabbed through me. I tensed, and he held me tightly as I shuddered through the fiery onslaught. I stared at Cyclone over Finn’s shoulder. “What do you think of my Lolly?”
She smiled genuinely, her gentle face transforming from stern to happy. “I hate him. He’s prettier than I am and that can’t be tolerated.”
I laughed, and Finn groaned, burying his face against my chest.
“He also does better makeup than I can. I demand he teach me his ways.” Cyclone winked and tilted her head. “All right, come on. Let’s get you inside. This is going to be a long night for you. Your brothers aren’t here yet.”
“Mybrothers?” I snorted. “They’re yours, too.”
“Only sometimes.” She chuckled again.
“Uncle Leggy, you can lie in my bed,” Stormy ordered.
How could I deny her? Between Cyclone, Stormy, Finn, and Mum, I was herded into Stormy’s very pink room with her king-sized bed. She had a lot more than I’d had when I was her age, but we’d made sure she had everything she would ever need. She was the only child—for now—and she was spoiled rotten. But she still had a respectful head on her shoulders, and Cyclone had done a good job raising her as a single parent.
I fell onto the bed and sighed, tensing as more pain flooded my system. I cursed under my breath.
“Would you like to come get some food, Finn?” Cyclone tapped him on the wrist with a kind smile, but he shook his head immediately.
His concerned expression narrowed on me. “I’ll stay.”
“I’m all good. Go get food.”
“No.” As if cementing his decision, he shoved me slightly so he could slide onto the blankets next to me. Stormy’s air con was blasting, getting rid of the heat and humidity outside and filling the room with nice, cool air. “I’m staying with you.” He buried his face between my shoulder and neck. “I’ll help you through it.”
My heart gave an extra beat, but it wasn’t because of the venom warring with my insides. I dragged Finn closer, arms wrapping around him. Cyclone was right, it was going to be a long night.
Cyclone winked at me as she, Mum, and Stormy exited the room, and I smirked. Yep, Finn was perfect.
12
