“Honestly? Hardly ever.” He winked and went to take a bite of his food, but I shoved him, earning a laugh that I’d come to cherish. “Fuck, I’m joking. Calm down,diva.”
A chuckle left my lips. “If that was meant to hit my ego, I’m afraid it failed. I totallyama diva.” It was nice to have conversations that didn’t involve some form of facade, and in recent days? They were happening frequently; I hoped it’d stay that way. “Don’t forget you’re technically classified as one too by association.”
Waving me off, he leaned forward with a smile and a full mouth. His fingers curled around the glass of milk he’d poured for himself, and he downed a few swallows before finally responding—his elected “gay voice” enough to make me snort. “I am honored, Queen.”
“Goddamn, isthatwhat I sound like to you?” I laughed, covering my mouth since I’d takenmorethan a hefty mouthful of food.
He chuckled. “No. Honestly, if it weren’t for the flowers on your ass and the sheen you paint your lips with, I would’ve had no idea.”
“That’swhyI do it, because how else do I market myself as available? Ass ready for a hitanda quit,” I added with a wink.
“You’re definitely eye candy?—”
The door creaked open, cutting Matthew off before he could finish. A presence filled the space, one I associated with far more detriment than positivity. Well, that’s what I liked to tell myself to keep from jumping hoops—ahoopthat threatened to ensnare me. Just as quickly as his arrival was announced, the mark of finality sealed it as he kicked the door shut behind him.
“What thefuck?” Thorne snarled.
My plate clattered as I stared at him, not aware he was coming backtoday. I stood, brushing fallen egg from my shirt. “I, uh?—”
“Thorne, I didn’t know they were releasing you today, or I would have?—”
The bandages that remained on Thorne’s arms didn’t seem to faze him as he wrapped his hand around Matthew’s shirt and hauled him over the couch with ease. Before I could react, bone and cartilage cracked, Thorne’s fist greeting Matthew’s face with anything but a warm hello. Blood splattered, coating the wall with its scarlet hue.
He tossed him to the ground, his back colliding with the cabinets. “Care to elaborate on what you’re doing withmyrecruit inourquarters,soldier?”
Now it was my turn to shout. “What thefuckare you doing? He made me breakfast, you sick fucker!” I rounded the corner of the couch, offering a hand to Matthew andhopefullyworking as a deterrent to Thorne’s rage.
“I wasn’t talking toyou,” Thorne snarled, an undercurrent of convoluted emotion buried beneath his words.
“Andweweren’t talking to you,” I snapped.
“Fine!”he snapped, shoving past me to storm down the hall. “Enjoy your fucking breakfast or whatever the fuck. I apologize for the inconvenience of myfucking arrival. Glad to see the two of you are getting offsplendidly.”
After helping Matthew up, I followed after. “Why are you angry? We weren’t the ones to swing at you. Hell, we were simply sitting andtalking, or are you unfamiliar with that concept?”
His head snapped over his shoulder, brows narrowing. “Yep. You’re right.I’mthe issue, always have, and always fucking will be.” He curled his fingers around the doorknob to his room, shoving it open to step inside. “Sorry for the inconvenience,Oren.”
I should’ve turned around, but Ididn’tbecause what he was saying wasn’t true. I knew that now. “You’re not the fucking issue,” I said. “You’re the farthest thing from it.”
“Oh, don’t humor me. You’ve made it clear how you feel about me, Valens.” He stepped back, attempting to slam the door in my face. “Loud and fucking clear.”
I shoved my foot in the threshold to block it from closing as my hand slapped against the wood. “Yeah? And what if I was wrong? What if I came here to apologize for the shit I said?”
“Apologize?” he scoffed. “You said it yourself in the kitchen. I’m asick fucker. There’s nothing to apologize for, so get the fuck away from me and go hang out with my second in command.”
“You’re a sick fucker because youhityour second in command! Who wouldn’t react the way I did?” I shoved my way inside his room, crossing my arms over my chest. “God, I don’t even know why Itry. I wanted to apologize, to see if you were alright, but this? This isn’t worth it if you’re not even going to fucking hear me out.”
“Likeyouheard me out?” His throat bobbed, his fists curling. “You tookeverythingI said to you, everything I confided in you about, and took it to your fucking father! And you wantmeto hearyouout?Fuck you,Oren.”
“I didn’t know,” I muttered, averting my gaze. “I thought… I thought it was all a lie.”
“Yeah, I got it,” he snapped, stepping past me as he ripped one of the drawers to his desk open. “I may be a piece of shit. I may be a heartless and soullesssick fuck. But Itoldyou. I. Am. Not. A. Liar.” Fisting a bag, he tossed it at my chest. “Your father convinced you there was nothing left of your mother. The pendant you wore? Fabricated by him.”
Fabricated? He… Had he known about it this whole time?
As my internal spiral droned on, Thorne continued. “He told me about it, along with everything he destroyed that once belonged to her, but not these. Not her ashes. So, consider this my parting gift, Oren. You’re excused from my fucking squadron. I’ll deal with the reprecussions that result once your father finds out.”
I gripped it tightly, unable to breathe or think as I pressed it against my chest. “You hid this?” I whispered, barely audible above the slamming of the drawer.
