“That’s brutal,” Cosy mutters, and I’m not sure if she’s talking about the length or whatever is happening in the game.
“And your brother is terrifying, Sunday,” I say. “Did you know he has everything labeled?”
“Yeah, like right down to his underwear,” Sunday laughs, her focus on what Kaia’s doing behind the mundane conversation. “I give it a week before you’re at each other's throats.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I pout.
“You’re a slob,” four voices chorus at once, and we all start to laugh.
“No offense, Reaper, but you’ve never been neat a day in your life,” Kaia says while rolling an eighteen, plus two with her stealth. She manages to get around the goblins without being noticed and slits the queen's throat without skipping a beat.
Sunday swiftly steps in with her dice, rolling a fifteen and saying, “I’m going to cast ‘Animate Dead’ on the goblin queen.”
Cosy groans. “Next campaign, I’m making all the monsters harder.”
“Sure you will,” Kaia purrs.
“The spell hits, and the Goblin Queen takes a massive breath as she wakes, completely under Mirage’s spell for the next twenty-four hours.”
“Are they reimbursing you at all? For damage—time—anything?” Adeline asks me, as Jensen sets a plate on the table beside her and hangs over her shoulders to listen.
“I don’t know yet.” I shrug, a little defeated and definitely over having this conversation with everyone. “It’s just a waiting game now.”
“If you need a good lawyer…” Jensen says, and Adeline pinches his arm, making him yip before retreating out of frame again.
“Thank you for the offer, but I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. I just want to get through the next couple of months with my head down.” I say, and the girls agree, but Kaia stares at me with mischief in her eyes.
Yes, that includes keeping Brighton Black a ruler's distance away from my underwear.
“If it doesn’t work out with Bri, you can always go back to stealing our couches; door’s always open,” Sunday reminds me.
“I’m not looking to add back pain to my list of worries right now,” I tease her, and she rolls her eyes at me, lifting her drink to her lips.
“We should make a bet.” Kaia slaps the table with her hands. “How long Bright and Rhea will go without—”
“Killing each other,” I cut her off because I can see her actively trying to start crap.
“That’s what I was going to say.” She smiles at me, shifting in her chair to straighten out and get serious. “So who wants to play?”
“I’ll bet twenty that it doesn’t last the week,” Sunday is the first to chime in.
“I give them a month,” Adeline pipes up.
“Twenty-three days,” Jensen yells from off-screen, and Kaia laughs.
“Really?” Adeline glares at him over the laptop.
“Cosy?” Kaia looks over to her as I sit silent and let them get it out of their system.
“Two months. Reaper stays clean for three weeks—then she slips and drives him to the brink of insanity.”
“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, you guys.” I shake my head and finish my beer. “What I really need is advice on how to survive him.”
“Stay out of his hair,” Sunday says quietly, “only be in the apartment for sleeping, it’s not like you aren’t busy.”
“Avoidance,” I laugh. “Perfect.”
“Oh, come on, Rhea, you have to admit this entire situation is hilariously awkward. It’s Sunday’s brother,” Cosy says.
