Lily is all too excited to explain. “Ship is likerelationship.When you ship someone you want them to hook up. Like I ship Magneto and Mystique inX-Men: First Class.”
“But they’re not canon yet,” Lo interjects, adding another term that makes little sense to me.
Lily clarifies, “They’re not really together. We just want them to be, but once it happens, they’re canon. I’m still holding out hope.”
Connor looks between Lo and Lily. “So let me get this straight. People are rooting for Ryke and Daisy to be together, but they’re not canon because it’s never happened.”
Lily claps and smiles brightly. “I’m a great tutor.”
Connor laughs.
“And it willneverhappen,” Lo adds, nodding to his brother to make sure he understands. I think Lo just fears abandonment again. That if Ryke dates Daisy in the faraway future, he’ll lose his brother and that sense of family. It’s not true, but you know, people believe what’s in their heart. You can’t change that so easily.
Julian stays quiet, digesting all of this information even though we’re talking like he’s no longer her boyfriend or even in the room. As far as I’m concerned, she just broke up with him tonight. I’m beginning to think Daisy stays with these losers because she doesn’t have the heart to reject them.
“Hey,” Ryke says, purposefully locking eyes with Julian. “I have fucking fans.” He raises his glass of water, and it’s hard to overlook my sister’s head in his lap.
Julian stands and nears him. “I’m going to take her to bed.”
I open my mouth to refute, my eyes narrowing, despite the booze softening me. But Ryke (sober) is way faster.
“She’snotfucking sleeping with you. Sorry,man.”
“Okay, just hand her over, dude. This shit is getting old.”
“Is it not processing in your fucking head?” Ryke asks with one of the worst glares I’ve seen him use. “You’re not fucking taking her. You’re not sleeping with her. She’s staying here.”
“With you, right? That’s not happening. I don’t fucking trustyouwithher.”
Lily perks up on Lo’s lap. “She can sleep in my bed, and Lo can go in Ryke’s room. Right, Lo?” she asks.
He nods. “Yeah, sure.” But he looks worried about leavingLilyalone. Not only for her own safety against Scott, but she’ll also be tasked to protect Daisy from her boyfriend. What if Julian crawls into their bed? We don’t know him that well.
“I’ll sleep with them too,” I announce, knowing that I drank too much to do anything with Connor anyway. But I do regret the words, even as I say them.
If Connor’s disappointed, he masks it perfectly, his face entirely unreadable.
“Great,” Julian says, “I’ll go put Daisy in her sister’s bed.”
Ryke stands with Daisy cradled in his arms, her legs dangling lifelessly. He readjusts her so she’s turned towards his chest, looking more passed out and less dead.
Julian waits for Ryke to hand her to him.
“Over my dead fucking body,” Ryke growls.
Before they have a tug-of-war with my sister, Loren steps in and pries Daisy from Ryke. “I’mtaking her to bed.”
Lily wraps the blanket tight around her naked frame and follows Loren out of the living room.
Julian puffs his chest out like he could push Ryke and pummel him. But Ryke pretty much has a look like “I’m going to rip your head off and chuck it in the snow.” I’d say Ryke would win based on expressions. That is, if I had to bet on this stupid fight at all.
I really just want to be alone with Connor, even if I already committed to sleeping with my sisters. I can creep intheir room later, right? Drunk me sayshell yes. Sober Rose would saywhere did your loyalty go, bitch?
Drunk Rose is so powerful right now.
Connor stands, my armrest gone. I almost fall into the cushion, but I catch myself with an unsteady hand.
“We should all go to bed. It’s late,” he says. He turns to me and easily grabs my hand, lifting me to my feet and supporting me with an arm to the waist.
