25. Aurora #2
Archer and Daemon’s apartment is situated on the Upper East Side, and is so perfectly beautiful that I wish I could stay here forever.
It has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a dining room that overlooks Central Park.
I’m not sure how much a place like this costs, but I am sure it didn’t put a dent in Alexander Reign’s fortune when he bought this for them, and the one above it for himself.
Apparently he wasn’t ready to fully say goodbye to my brother when they graduated and were both drafted to New York teams. Plus he and Daemon are close friends now too, Archer said they have tea together every Sunday, much to his dismay.
I’d laugh at how ridiculous it all is if I weren’t so impressed by it, and honestly it’s just typical Alexander bullshit.
When we arrive we are shown to our rooms, as Archer, with no reason not to, points out one bedroom for Griffin and Harden to share, and another for Everest and I to share.
He didn’t pick up on the silent tension of his choices, and why would he?
A sister should be okay with sharing a room with her brother at her other brother’s house, it’s normal.
What’s not normal, is what Everest and I have been doing while sharing a bed recently.
“I thought there were four bedrooms,” I croak out, forcing my tone to sound as casual as possible, as Archer shows us to our rooms.
We’ve only ever been here once before when they first moved in, and it wasn’t fully finished in terms of furnishing.
“There is, but Daemon needed a studio,” Archer tosses back over his shoulder, his eyes bright and filled with pride as he talks about him.
“Why? What’s up, Rora, not up for a sibling sleepover?” Griffin asks, eyeing me knowingly, and I feel Everest cut him a sharp glare, which only deepens when Griffin keeps going. “You can come and share with me if you want, sweetheart.”
Harden hides a smirk, as Archer looks between Griffin and I with nothing but assessment, no doubt looking to see if the dynamic between us has changed at all. Griffin has never made flirting with me a secret, and it seems he isn’t going to stop now.
“You’ve got a better chance of scoring with Harden than you have with her.” Everest’s response is gritted through his teeth in warning, and I’m about to smirk, until I see the strange, fleeting look that passes between Griffin and Harden at his words.
What the hell was that?
They both avert their eyes just as quickly, but not before I saw whatever that just was.
Desperately wanting to diffuse the tension, I turn my focus to Daemon who is trailing behind me. “So a studio, huh?” That’s all it takes to have him smiling slightly, and I waste no time in shoving my bags toward Ever when Daemon gestures in the direction of his studio.
When he leads me inside, it feels like I have died and gone to heaven.
It’s filled with a stack of canvases, some new, some half-finished, and all the supplies you could possibly think of or wish for.
He makes quick work of setting us both up with a space to work, and we begin to paint together quietly.
I know he likes to work alone usually, so I know what an honor it is to be allowed to invade his space slightly.
We work in silence for a while, and it’s a nice escape from the simmering tension between me and the guys, but apparently I’m not hiding it as well as I thought.
“So, you and Everest?” Daemon drawls into the silence, and my paintbrush freezes mid-air.
My mind works a mile a minute as I try and fail to come up with something to say, especially when I meet the knowing look in his eye, but it doesn’t stop me from trying. “What, us sharing a room?” I ask, focusing back on my painting and pretending my hand isn’t shaking.
“I think we both know you’re sharing more than that,” he snorts, and I can’t help but be surprised not just by his words, but by his tone too.
Ever since I met him there was always a dark, reserved nature about him, like Harden, except with Harden I had seen his other side, with Daemon I never have. Seems my brother is rubbing off on him in more ways than one, but still I internally curse at how observant he is.
“Does my brother know?” My question isn’t exactly an admission, but it appears Daemon doesn’t need one, not when he pauses his own paintbrush to look at me.
“No, if he did, I doubt Everest would still be walking around unharmed,” he grunts, going back to his canvas, but his words send a cold chill down my spine.
“You think he would hurt him?” Even I can hear the panic in my own voice, but he doesn’t bother to placate me with his response.
“I know he would.”
“How?”
“Because Archer Gray protects what he loves,” he states firmly, and I know that already, I know it better than anyone.
“He loves Everest too,” I whisper, and Daemon nods in agreement.
“True, he does, but you are his blood, Rora, don’t underestimate the power that holds over a person.” His words are said with such finality that I’m surprised when he quietly adds, “I’m not going to tell him, but you should, or you will lose what you have.”
I nod, blinking back my tears and focusing back on my own canvas, the bright, pastel design no longer holding any interest, because how do I tell my brother that I fell in love with our other brother?