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Chapter Twenty
Sloane
Ares Mallick took me home.
Consider that one a win for the record books.
Another was that we managed to not kill each other on the way. We didn’t even argue. It was actually a nice quiet drive. Well, quiet outside of the blaring rock music that Ares blasted throughout his Hummer. Arm hanging out the window, he blasted that shit despite it being the middle of the night, and I didn’t complain because that was what I would have played.
It was kind of crazy how we had so much in common. I seemed to discover more and more, as we spent time together. A big commonality was our art, and it may be because we had so much in common, we fought so much. We were like two alphas constantly knocking heads. He was obviously more aggressive, but I didn’t stand down from him.
That was probably a big reason I pissed him off so much. I didn’t stand down like the rest of his sheep at school, and call me crazy, but it seemed he didn’t hate me as much either. Besides helping me out tonight, I think he played his music so loud because he witnessed me enjoying it. He caught me bobbing my head to the beat from the radio more than once.
“You need anything else before I cut out?” he asked, eyeing my living room. He mentioned some shit about not letting me walk into a dark house, which fucking floored me. He did something nice, normal even. He was surprising me just like someone else I’d rather forget.
Dorian himself had impressed me more than once in the past. He’d been kind before. He was kind until he wasn’t, a constant reminder of what Legacy was, and I couldn’t soon forget. Ares may have my back now, but I was still aware he needed me for that project. We were far from finishing it.
I kept that thought in the back of my mind as I left Ares to deposit my bag in the hall closest. I returned to find Ares in the kitchen, actually studying the area like he was looking for something or someone. I chuckled, and he turned around.
“We have home security,” I said. He saw me turn it off. “No one’s getting in here. Callum made sure of that.”
I’d been able to juice up my phone on the way here since Ares had a charger in his car, and Callum had left me a couple messages. He mentioned basically the same thing Ares had told me at the hospital, so I hadn’t bothered calling him back. It was late, so I left him a text I’d call him in the morning.
“Did he now?” Ares’s gaze bored over the room. He studied the light fixtures and cabinets before finding my eyes. “Any reason why the dude left you hanging tonight?” He shrugged. “He’s supposed to be your guardian, right? Where was he and why did I have to tell you what was going on with your brother?”
I frowned. “He didn’t leave me hanging.”
“He did.” Ares took a step, and I didn’t get the attitude change. “And where does he go anyway? He just leaves you guys here? All alone and shit.”
“Because he’s not our dad,” I stated, not that I had to explain it to him. I braced my arms. “And he didn’t leave me hanging. He tried to call me, but my phone died.”
“Hmm,” Ares grunted, like an actual grunt. He stood tall. “Well, where is he? Is he coming?”
His phone message said he’d try. I didn’t know where he was right now, but I assumed on business. He always was when he wasn’t here.
But again, I didn’t need to tell him that. I wet my lips. “You know what? Thanks for tonight. Thanks for taking me home, but I’m probably good at this point.”
That was my nice way of saying he needed to go home, and there went our record for not arguing. He just couldn’t help but be himself.
I left him standing in the middle of the kitchen, opening the cabinets for some hard liquor. I needed a shot, and he laughed behind me.
“You’re getting tanked this late?”
“Doesn’t hurt the situation.” Things were already fucked. I pulled out the bourbon.
“Going straight for the hard stuff, I see.”
I turned to find him smirking.
He leaned back against the counter. “Wouldn’t have taken you for a bourbon drinker, little. Maybe one of those fuzzy pink drinks.” His eyebrow arched. “Those ones with the sugar crystals on the top.”
I flipped him off, and that got me another smirk. It pissed me off enough that I grabbed two glasses instead of the one. The first I poured my shot, and the second I decided to fill with some milk from the fridge.
I got it nice and high, Ares watching me the whole time. His lips thinned. “What are you doing?”
“Pouring a glass for the big boy,” I said, then pushed it to him. “How’s that for your fuzzy pink drinks?”
I’d give it to Ares. He took it and actually lifted his glass to me. “Salut.”
