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I glance at Ryke, and he raises his brows at me like hey, Calloway.
And now I do.
His arm slides around my shoulders. “No one fucking hit on you, did they?” he asks while we head closer to our friends, Willow standing next to Garrison, who’s fixated on the computer.
Without looking at her, his hand slides down her arm and fits tightly in hers. Such a sly move. Lily would be the first to give them 10 out of 10 stars.
“I’m pregnant,” I remind Ryke, noticing Rose sipping her sparkling water and pacing between the doorway, hawkeyed. Shouldn’t she be relaxing tonight?
“Yeah?” he says. “Your sister thinks it wouldn’t fucking matter if you were pregnant or not.”
Willow clears her throat. “We were approached…Daisy handled it really fast though.”
Garrison’s head whips towards Willow. “What?”
Ryke’s jaw hardens. “What do you mean approached?”
She wears that grossed out expression again, like a bad taste fills her mouth. It was a short run-in, but for someone who actively avoids those situations, it must be harder to digest.
Garrison seems beyond concerned, his body language opened towards her and closed off to his computer. Ryke analyzes that, I think, because he shifts his weight on his cane, not coming to her rescue or comforting her like he would anyone who was alone.
“Did someone touch you?” he asks under his breath, but we’re close enough to catch the words.
“No, no, like I said, Daisy handled it really fast. It was just…weird, I guess. He was old.”
“Fucking fantastic,” Ryke mutters.
“It does seem like there are more guys here than girls,” Lily says, munching on Cheez-Its.
Lo nods to Willow. “You want to leave now?”
She shakes her head vigorously. “No. It wasn’t that bad, honestly.”
Garrison still looks worried, but he kisses her lightly on the cheek and then whispers in her ear. She nods, and he pulls her against his side, tucking her close.
I whisper to Ryke, “I know I’m not the best at telling who the good guys are.”
His brows rise again like no fucking kidding.
I smile. “But I think Garrison is one.” When someone cares about your limitations and your approval on simple things, like touching, that goes a long way. Not all people are like this.
Ryke’s face washes with the same realization. “Maybe you’re right.”
Connor says to Garrison, “How many steps are left?”
Garrison shakes his head in a daze and then remembers his project. To help me. He licks his lips, types one thing on the computer, and says, “That’s it.”
“That’s it?” My chest rises, and I edge closer. The screen is full of computer code that makes no sense to me.
“Whoever they had hacking into your accounts will be met with porn spam when they try again. I also increased all your security passwords, and I’ve written them down for you.” He digs into his pocket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes and crumpled piece of paper. He hands me that. “I had to add a defense to all of your accounts, by the way.” Besides us there aren’t other people really lingering in the empty kitchen, so they can’t hear him. “No one should be able to find your phone numbers unless you personally give it out.”
A heavy, paranoid weight starts to lift off my chest. I didn’t even realize it was still sitting there. They can’t call you anymore, Daisy. I wasn’t sure I’d ever reclaim that kind of privacy again.
Before I can tell Garrison thank you or even thank Willow for mentioning how good he is at computers, Garrison motions to Lily. “And your passcodes took me thirty seconds to hack.”
Lo gives her a look.
“Whaaa…” She crinkles her nose. “It’s not anything familiar to anyone, I promise.”
“It is though,” Garrison says. “Your favorite movie is X-Men: First Class. You said it in an interview, which is public knowledge. You can’t use 2011xmen as your password—”
“Shhh!” she hushes him with large eyes and waves like she’s swatting bees. “Someone’s going to overhear and get into my work email.”
“If you want, I’ll help you change it tonight.”
She nods repeatedly, and I leave Ryke’s side, heading on the other side of the bar counter, to steal Cheez-Its from Lo’s box. Ryke follows, limping more than he uses his cane. He grimaces the last step here, but he never complains.
Never brings up how much it hurts.
He perseveres.
I watch him lean his weight on the granite countertop, the kitchen darkened except for the warm glow of candles. I pass him a handful of Cheez-Its and then he throws one at my face.
I smile, and he tosses the second one at me, and I catch it in my mouth.
I raise my fists in the air. “I’ve saved the Cheez-It from death by floor. Rejoice!”
Ryke pops one in his mouth, his lips rising.
Connor closes his lightsaber and gestures from Garrison to the laptop. “You taught yourself code?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” Connor asks, deeply interested.
Lo lowers his voice to our huddle of four. “Anyone else think Connor looks impressed?”
Lily sticks her hand in the red box. “Maybe he farted.”
We all burst out laughing, and Connor arches his brow at us. He couldn’t have heard Lily from the other side of the counter, but he definitely knows that he’s the source of our humor.
“I like it.” Garrison shrugs at Connor. “Code makes sense to me. Does there need to be another reason?”
Connor smiles. “There could be, but the reason you gave me is the best one.”
“What can I do for you? That’s your opening line?” Rose suddenly says, so loudly that we all turn towards her. Her arms are crossed while a six-foot-something pale vampire stands opposite her, a wine glass in his hand.
“Look, he drinks wine just like Connor,” Lo quips, eating his snack like popcorn.
Connor has zeroed in on Rose’s conversation with the gothic-era vampire, who must be an actor because he’s one of the better looking guys here. All clean-cut and dressed in an aristocratic black vest and button-down, like he might’ve had a stylist.
The guy gestures from Rose’s boobs to…well just her boobs. “You are rubber. I’m glue. Whatever you say, I bet I’ll fuck you.”
Rose’s eyes widen with hellfire.
Lo gags at the guy, and Ryke mutters, “I’m already fucking there.”
Connor’s expression is unreadable, but Lo whispers something about his “jealous” face. So maybe I just can’t see through Connor the way that he can. Rose wouldn’t be happy about Connor pissing on her territory, so it’s reasonable to assume that’s why he’s giving her time before he interjects.
“And I bet,” Rose snaps at the guy, “that you’ll be masturbating at home alone tonight. I also bet in five years, your balls will rot and fall off.”
The guy laughs and stares at her boobs again.
I hate this vampire.
Rose glares more. “Find something that pleases you?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe my five-inch heel in your eye socket might please you too.”
He sips his wine. This is when Connor leaves his post by the barstools, his stride more urgent, as though he can tell where this conversation is headed.
“I wasn’t joking.” She narrows her eyes, white-knuckling her sparkling water.
The guy just tilts his head like she’s still playing around. “I bet your husband likes your heel in his asshole—”
She throws her water at his face, and the guy lunges towards Rose. Oh my God—Connor immediately steps in front of my sister and shoves the guy so hard that he crashes into the kitchen cabinets.
“Kick his ass, Skywalker!” Lo shouts between cupped hands.
The guy rubs the back of his head, fuming at Connor who stands tall at six-foot-four.
Connor Cobalt is so calm that you w
ouldn’t believe he was the one who slammed the guy backwards.
“She was hitting on me, you realize that?” the guy retorts.
Why do some guys blame it on girls? Rose didn’t do anything wrong. She held a curt conversation with him. That’s it.
Connor barely blinks before he says, “Normally I wouldn’t even waste words on someone who I find parochial and meaningless, but maybe I pity you just enough to say this: in the next two centuries, my wife and I will still exist. We will live beyond you through minds and words and hearts. If that makes you feel weak and insignificant, then maybe you should reevaluate your own stance in the world—and not attempt to beat at mine with two flailing hands.”
Wow.
The kitchen is stunned to silence except for the spooky background music, and Rose is smiling at her husband, her eyes gleaming with love.
