“Did you really bake us a cake to celebrate our coupling?”
I snort at Amick’s terminology.
“Didn’t know that’s what I was baking it for, but yes.”
“It’s worth a celebration. I can assure you. One day, you’ll understand. Kyzen, I assume this was your idea?”
I don’t dare turn around. They’d all no doubt pick on me.
“Yeah, man. I’m really happy for you both and wanted to make this special.”
My heart flutters and it’s not my soul. I do caress that little…rope inside of me that attaches to Kyzen, though.
I smile down into my coffee as he gasps, then proceeds to tell his brothers “nothing” when they ask what’s wrong.
“Go on to the table and I’ll bring everyone a slice,” Creed says.
I turn with all five mugs clenched uncoordinatedly in my fingers, but Amick’s grumpy frown on his face halts me.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’d seem you were right last night.”
It takes me a moment to try to remember what I said last night that I’m right about now. The second it clicks, a fit of laughter breaks out of me.
After I made the whole comment about him not having to be touchy and him putting me in my place about it, I blushed and nearly passed out from the swoon-worthy sentiment.
Then I died laughing when he said he would not provide aftercare for his brothers, and they’d have to help themselves.
I knew he didn’t mean it literally like in the sense of him actually cleaning them up like he did me. He’d said it right after he’d gone to the kitchen, fixed me a drink, a snack, then sat behind me and brushed my wet hair out.
He has no intentions of catering to those needs for them. I gently reminded him Kyzen usually fixes our coffee every morning and Creed fixes almost every single meal for us without complaint.
He didn’t respond, which I’ve learned his silence sometimes means disagreement and sometimes not. Last night, he obviously disagreed, so he didn’t comment.
Now he’s facing the reality that Kyzen made Creed bake us a cake, and Creed is cutting said cake for all of us.
A screech leaves my lips, stealing the smile right off my face as soon as I set the mugs on the table and Riven pops up beside me.
“Hell yeah, cake for breakfast.”
I slap his hand away from the slice Creed sets down that I had my eye on. It has the most berries and that’s the one I want.
“One day, Riven, you’re going to scare me at the wrong moment, like when I have a knife in my hand, and I’m going to stab you.”
“Promises, promises, little burden. So are we celebrating breaking out of this hellhole today?”
“No. Thayla and I had sex last night. Kyzen and Creed baked us a cake to honor the occasion. It isn’t a nutritious breakfast, but I find the sentiment very endearing.”
Riven’s sneer is immediate, and I’m torn between laughing or shoving a slice of cake in his face.
“I don’t know if I’m pissed or impressed.”
“Both,” all four of us say and he grumbles something about us being disgusting as he plops himself down in his seat.
I chuckle at his dramatics and sit down with far more grace, but at the same time, unfortunately, a bubble of fear and doubt blooms in my belly at his words.
I obviously didn’t forget we’re getting ready to leave, but the excitement flowing through the house this morning was keeping all my negative thoughts at bay.
