“What? No!” I yelp, throwing my hands up and gesturing wildly to emphasize how far from the truth that statement is. “Callie has no idea I know, and please, please don’t tell her.”
Donovan and Nolan appear amused at the news of Callie’s erotic dream, Connor stares dumbstruck at his feet, and Kaleb… he looks really pissed off actually.
Approaching me in that precise, controlled way he does when he’s trying not to break something, he seethes, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but what you’re telling us is that you entered Callie’s mind without her permission, stayed long enough that, at a bare minimum, you were able to assess what was happening and that we were all participants, and now you’re asking us to keep this extreme violation of trust from her?”
“When you put it that way…” I trail off, feeling like dirt because I did a lot more than take a quick look.
“Get off that fucking high horse, K,” Donovan sneers, standing up from his reclined position against his truck. He gets close enough to Kaleb that normal people would be intimidated. Then again, normal people don’t know how to lethally fight with a long sword. “You act like he specifically did it to fucking perv on her. That’s not Felix and you know it. He must have had a reason, and don’t act like you wouldn’t at least fucking watch long enough to figure out what the hell was going on. You’re lying to yourself if you think otherwise.”
“I specifically warned him to never enter a person’s mind without their knowledge,” Kaleb counters, refusing to back away from Donovan’s attempt at intimidation.
“Except when it’s convenient for us,” Donovan fires back. “We’ve had him do it twice without the person’s knowledge.”
“That was different and you know it,” Kaleb argues in a hard, controlled tone. “Callie was catatonic, and Mildred was knocked unconscious while demons held her hostage.”
“Guys, please don’t fight,” I beg, feeling helpless on the sidelines. “If you think it’s the right thing to do, I’ll tell her, okay?”
“Both of you knock it off,” Nolan interjects, sounding tired. “It happened. Arguing about it won’t change it. Dreaming about sex is normal, and how would telling her we know that we played starring roles help?”
“She’d be embarrassed,” Connor adds quietly, joining our small circle in the light, his tall form casting a long shadow.
“Which would make her feel uncomfortable around us, and as Felix pointed out, she needs us. I don’t know if you all noticed, but she’s kind of had a shitty life,” Nolan concludes, walking around to the driver’s side of his Audi. “Besides, ever think we’re just stand-ins? She’s not experienced. We’re people she’s comfortable with. Her subconscious did the rest.”
“Hell, no,” Donovan laughs, distracted enough to forget he was arguing with Kaleb. After Connor gives him a hard look that I don’t understand, Donovan shrugs and adds, “Every girl wants a piece of this.”
Kaleb sighs and rolls his eyes. Turning around to march up the driveway, he yells over his shoulder, “Fine, I won’t tell her. But secrets always get out eventually. How do you think she’ll feel knowing we kept this from her? Aboutallthe things we’ve kept from her?”
“He really needs to do something about that stick up his ass before I add my foot,” Donovan mutters, walking over to his truck and climbing into the driver’s side. He says more, but I don’t hear it over the revving of the engine.
Connor and Nolan silently get into their cars so they can drive closer to the house, and I poof back to Callie, hoping that I haven’t spoiled this night for everyone.
Chapter 24
Callie
“Finished the last one… Nan,” I announce in the kitchen, while Mildred puts the final touches on her mince pies.
She looks up at me with a soft smile. “It’ll get easier.”
“I know. It’s just… weird,” I mumble, sliding the stone hanging from my neck along its chain. “You’ve been Aunt Mildred for as long as I’ve known you, which I know hasn’t been long, but… you just don’tfeellike a grandma.”
“Would it help if I glamoured myself to look like an old woman and constantly handed you sweets from my purse?” she teases, sprinkling powdered sugar on the fruit filled treats.
“Would you?” I exclaim, trying to figure out how to explain my ‘aunt’s’ rapid aging.
“No,” she deadpans, then laughs, amused by her own joke.
After washing her hands, she walks over and tucks some of my loose strands of hair behind my ears. In honor of our little gathering to celebrate Yule, I attempted to do a cute updo. One of those that look kind of romantic and messy with strands around my face. My hair looks more messy than romantic, but what can I say? I’m a work in progress.
I may have also consulted Mei on what I should wear. This is the first holiday celebration I’ll be spending with people who love me, and since my interactions with the guys have certainly blurred past just friends, I wanted to look nice. But not too nice. An effortless nice that may or may not be at least a little alluring for my currently undefined relationships. Turns out it takes a lot of effort to look like I put in no effort.
Letting go of my necklace, I play with the collar of my oversized sweater for what feels like the millionth time, second guessing following Mei’s suggestions. There’s nothing innately provocative with what I’m wearing—tight jeans and a soft, oversized forest green sweater that hangs off of one shoulder—but I’m also wearing one of the new bras Mei insisted on. The high-collared, lacy one with the plunging keyhole opening. To an outside observer, it looks like a lacy, halter undershirt, since the plunging bit is mostly covered by the sweater. Mei assured me that it would look like I put no thought into it, all the while looking like an innocent sex kitten. Unsure if I want to look like a sex anything, I consider running upstairs and changing into my Princess Leia sweater.
“You look lovely,” Mildred murmurs, noticing me fidgeting. “I’m sure Donovan will like it.”
I laugh awkwardly, the sound more nervous than amused. After she caught us making out, I couldn’t really go back to the old mantra that Donovan and I are just friends. I went with the tried and true, ‘it’s complicated.’ What I haven’t mentioned, is that the complication is I’m in love with all of the guys, and Donovan isn’t the only one I’ve made out with. I’ve also managed to hide the rumors from school that we’re all dating from her—which is becoming less rumor as the days go by.
My life is very weird.
