Chapter 4
It’s been two days since the incident at the rink, and Silas still won’t shut up about that girl.
“Her attitude was… muah.” He does a dramatic chef's kiss with his right hand, lounging in his usual chair. One leg thrown over the arm, the other sprawled wide with his foot planted on the floor. His head’s tilted back on the opposite arm, eyes closed.
The guy’s been going on and on about how she "humiliated" him in front of everyone, and somehow he’s convinced it was all flirtation.
Like being publicly embarrassed is his love language. Nut job.
“Shut up, Silas. You were a total dick to her.” And there’s Morella, floating in like always.
“She held her own,” he says with a grin, not missing a beat. “Just like I knew my princess would.”
He licks his lips and gives Morella a once-over.
“Hey!” I bark, sharp and low.
He flinches slightly and throws his hands up in mock surrender. “My bad, cap.”
I shoot him a glare and grumble under my breath, rubbing my temples.
Silas is going to be the death of me. I close my eyes, trying to block it all out and that’s when I’m smacked in the back of the head.
My eyes snap open, and a flush of hot anger creeps up my neck.
I slowly turn, already seething. Morella stands over me, arms crossed.
“What the FUCK was that for?” I shout.
“You know exactly what that was for.” Morella scolds. “Why did you feel the need to be mean to her?”
I scoff and lean back, my jaw muscles twitching. “Morella, that girl plowed into you and knocked you over. She could’ve hurt you.”
“Oh, please, brother. She weighs about as much as I do.” She throws her arms out in exasperation. “Even if she had, it was this little thing called an ACCIDENT.”
Her voice peaks on the last word, echoing through the room like a slap.
I exhale through my nose and glance away. “Why do you care?” I mumble, tension leaking out of my voice as I sink deeper into the chair.
“Because I’m not a barbarian like you three,” she snaps, pointing at each of us in turn like we’re on trial.
Archer, who is flat on the couch, hoodie up, raises both hands in the air without even opening his eyes. “Hey. I did absolutely nothing.”
“Exactly,” Morella says, laser-locked on him now. “You did nothing. Not to stop it. Not to help. And you laughed when Si tripped her.”
“Nooo…” Archer finally opens his eyes and sits up on the part of the couch he’d been melting into for the last hour. “I smirked. Si laughed. Get your facts straight, mija.”
He makes a lazy circle in the air with his pointer finger, then flops back down, eyes closed, arm thrown dramatically across his face. His universal signal for conversation over.
“Mija…” Morella mutters under her breath as she turns on her heel. “Didn’t even pass Spanish last year, talkin’ ‘bout mija... ugh.” She stomps out of the den, probably off to sulk or scream into a pillow or whatever it is she does when she’s had it with all of us.
“Someone’s feisty today,” Si tosses out casually, not even looking up from whatever app he’s scrolling.
“Anyway,” he adds, thumb still flicking across his screen, “what’s the plan for tonight?”
“Party. Cemetery,” Archer mumbles, still under his arm like it’s a weighted blanket.
Si glances over at me. I just shrug, sounds good to me.
“Alrighty then.” Si grins, taps something into his phone, and stands pressing it to his ear. As his conversation starts, he drifts out of the room, laughing at something the person on the other end says.
I don’t bother trying to listen. I sink deeper into my chair and let out a long, exhausted sigh. Silas’ voice fades down the hall. Archer’s unconscious again on the couch, and I finally have a second of quiet.
Unfortunately, that’s when my brain decides to bring up things I’d rather not think about.
The second she walked into the rink, something went off-balance.
I’d tried to shake her, but she was lodged somewhere irritating and stubborn.
I didn’t like how easily my attention locked onto her, and how hard it was to let go.
She took a hit, got back up and didn’t look at me like she expected something. I didn’t know what to do with that.