“Don’t you fucking dare.” Artemis levels me with a heavy glare. “If you lick him, I leave.”
Apollo perks up at the word lick. “What did I miss?”
Artemis points to his mouth. “You’ve got shit on your face and Edith looks about ready to mount the table and lick it off.”
My face is on fire. Apollo’s grin is nothing short of wolfish. “That so?” He spins toward me in his seat. Without breaking eye contact, he drags his thumb along his pink bottom lip, catching the pie filling on the pad of his digit. Instead of sucking it off like I expect him to, he holds it out to me.
Artemis groans, and I’m pretty sure that noise is the sound of his stomach lurching. Dude’s gonna puke his pie.
That’s definitely a him problem though, not a me problem, because right now I’m caught in the unrelenting hold of my prince of darkness’s heated chocolate stare. When I open my mouth, he doesn’t hesitate to slide his thumb between my lips. The tiny taste of tart, sweet cherry filling explodes on my tongue with two contented groans—his and mine—and a groan of dismay from his brother.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,hermano. Thankfully, I have a few days to think about it.”
I share a look with Artemis across the table. We both know what Apollo is going to do. It’s what he always does, bends, folds, twisting himself into a human pretzel to appease his father.
Hundred bucks says this dumb fuck is going to quit the team.
CHAPTER29
Apollo
(APRIL 4TH – DAY 18 POST OP)
My girl deserves better.
I’ve been like a sad fucking donkey for the past few days, and it’s time to stop being a giantpendejoand cheer her up. She’s been every bit as miserable as I have. She missed her audition last week. We knew she couldn’t dance for it, but I guess, seeing the date on the calendar when she was supposed to get her “last chance” really hit her hard.
Try as she might to avoid what now feels like her previous life... her friends posted a pre-audition selfie, and videos on the socials that, if she hadn’t already been upset, would have upset her. But considering she was already cut up about it... well, there has been a dark cloud over both of us over the past couple days.
“How was practice?” Edith’s on the couch playing aPokémongame on the TV. I don’t remember the last time she’s been outside this apartment. That’s going to have to change.
“Exhausting.”
She tosses a bottle of water at me, then pauses a second before tearing her eyes off the screen. Her nose wrinkles in the way I love, but the disgust on her face makes me chuckle.
“I need a shower.”
She wafts the air around her face. “No shit, Sherlock. You stink.”
“So, I’ve been thinking.”
“Me too.” She turns her attention back to the game. “I’ve decided you’re going to be my sugar daddy so I can spend all day playing video games. Then I won’t have to decide what the fuck to do with my life now that my dancing dreams are like tattered tulle around my feet.”
I roll my eyes. “Okay, drama llama. But if you call me Daddy in the bedroom, we’re going to have issues. That is not my kink.” I shudder. “At. All.”
She’s laughing so hard she almost drops the controller. “What were you thinking about?” She glances at the door. “Last time you had a thought, well, Alonso burst through my door.”
“Don’t remind me. So my thinking today is the same thinking from that day. We never circled back.”
“Before I forget, did you spray down your pads? If that stench is strong enough to cross this room, you know that kit bag is going to fester.”
Grinning, I nod. I love that there are no lines with her. “They’re airing out over at my place.”
She creases her face up again, and a tremor rattles her whole body. “You have sixty seconds to talk, then you need to wash. Because, ew.”
This woman. I fucking love her. I haven’t said the words out loud to her yet because I’m convinced she has one foot out the goddamn door. I also don’t want her to think I’m saying it becauselifeis happening around us and kicking us both in the crotch.
Stripping off my shirt, I chuckle, then threaten to throw it at her.
