As soon as I open my door, I’m slammed with endless noise and chatter.
No surprise, Remi has decided to invade our space just because he’s bored and probably has no shags scheduled for tonight. As usual, Creighton and Bran are with him.
He waltzes into our living room carrying bottles of beer and starts to kick, push, and rearrange our furniture.
“Stop doing that!” Ava runs toward him and effortlessly tries to put an end to his chaos. “This is our space!”
“I’m not hearing you over my lordship’s creative ideas.” He tells Creighton to help him, which he does without a word.
When he reaches the sofa on which Annika sits like a doll, slurping from her purple cup and glittery straw, he fixates her with a stare.
That’s enough to have her stand up and head to Ava’s side.
Remi, who’s having his way as usual, grins, opens a bottle of beer, and gives one to Bran. “Cheers, mate!”
Bran clicks Remi’s bottle with his and sits on the floor cross-legged. Even though he’s Lan’s identical twin brother, the similarities stop there. Bran is more silent, nicer, kinder, and definitely isn’t up to trouble all the time. He’s a bit like me, but I think he runs deeper than any of us know.
He’s hanging out with us mainly because Remi dragged him along.
Remi always bugs him and Creigh to join his endeavours, part because he’s annoying and part because he knows we wouldn’t actually kick them out.
“The house is so silent,” the prick muses, running his gaze over the place.
“I’m right here, dick.” Ava glares down her nose at him but still snatches a bottle of beer.
“Not you, peasant.” He sniffs the air. “I can smell that other crazy cougar, so she must be around here. Unless she actually died in one of her books and her ghost is doing stretches to haunt us.”
“The only one I’ll haunt is you, Remi.” I stroll from my room and join them.
The other guys nod at me and I nod back. Ava, however, side-hugs me. “Rems invaded our flat and ruined our pretty decorations.”
He gives an evil laugh. “You don’t stand a chance in front of my genius plans.”
“More like foolish,” I mutter.
“Don’t be jealous, Ces.”
“Of what exactly?”
“My dashing looks, for one.” He forms an L at his chin and touches his nose to show just how straight it is. “I’m open to giving you lessons in charisma if you get on your knees and call me your master.”
“In your dreams.”
“In my dreams, you’re not a prude slash nerd.”
“Now, who’s the jealous one?”
“Of your nonexistent sex life.” He pretends to yawn. “Wake me up when this one starts to say the word cock. Sorry, I mean penis.”
“You little—” I pause when I feel Ava’s body vibrating against mine. “Are you laughing?”
“No, I swear.” She does a shit job at hiding her laughter. “I’m done.”
“Something Cecy will never say in this lifetime,” Remi muses.
Ava snorts and bursts out laughing.
“I’m going to kill you,” I tell him, then glare at Ava. “And you just lost bestie privileges.”
“No, Cecy.” She hugs me tighter. “Don’t leave me. And shut up, Rems, seriously. Leave her alone. We need a prude in our ranks like we need a manwhore, aka you.”
Remi laughs. “Joke’s on you because that’s a compliment!”
“Was that supposed to make me feel better?” I ask Ava while wearing my poker face.
She merely grins and hugs me again. “You can die celibate and we’ll still love you.”
Rolling my eyes, I push her away and head toward Anni, who’s not so subtly watching Creighton while toying with her straw.
When I sit beside her, she smiles and offers me some snacks.
Remi chooses to put Ava under fire, obviously bored with the old rehearsed topic of my alleged prudeness.
You’re not a prude if you like primal play.
I slowly close my eyes to chase away Jeremy’s voice. Just why on earth do I keep thinking of him when I’m supposed to be focusing that energy on starting anew with Lan?
Though is that what I truly want?
“I missed being here with you guys.” Anni sighs.
Right. She was often forced to stay in her brother’s mansion upon his order and there was nothing she could do about it.
“Can’t you tell him no?” I swallow. “Jeremy, I mean.”