“Barfred,” Julian starts, casually leaning against the counter with Atlas at his side. “We need to talk.”
My eyes shoot from them to the other side of the kitchen, by the door, where Atticus and Cameron stand side by side.
“Alright,” I say wearily, wiping my hands on a kitchen rag. “Then talk.”
In the past few days since I’ve gotten back from California, Cameron has managed to move into the castle, and I’ve seen this group a lot more than I used to.
As in, I catch Cameron and Atlas running around together, with Julian chasing after them. And without fail, Atticus is always lingering in the distance, keeping a heavy eye on his boyfriend like a protective overlord.
But I get it. I truly do. If I could have Landon in my sights at all—no. None of that. He’s not my boyfriend; he’s nothing to me. Not now.
“Well,” Atlas begins, and it comes out as a squeak that nearly startles me. “We wanted to ask you about Landon.”
Landon? Why would they… surely they haven’t…
My eyes shoot to Atticus, who raises one unimpressed brow in my direction.
“What?” he presses. “Was I not meant to mention your public outings or your sexual conquests in the backyard?”
If I were a more expressive man, I would blush right now.He heard that?
“What is this about?” I demand, letting rage cover my embarrassment easily. “I don’t speak to him anymore, so if you’re wondering—”
“We’re not,” Julian interrupts. “We want to know what happened. As in, why did Landon sound two seconds from crying while on the phone with me last night?”
“He called you?” I ask, surprised and a bit excited.
Did he take my advice and make amends? I’m not the biggest fan of their friendship, knowing their past, but I also know that Landonneedshis friends.
“He did,” Julian confirms. “He told me… things.”
The knowing look he is leveling at me either means Landon told him about his gift or his mental state. Either way, I’m already aware of both.
“I see,” I murmur.
“And when I asked about you—”
“Why would you do that?” I interrupt.
“—he seemed very sad. More than usual. What happened?”
I stare at the ballsy fucker in disbelief. Where does he get off questioning me? Is my and Landon’s nonexistent relationship any ofhisbusiness?
“What Julian’s failing at asking,” Atticus cuts in, and I catch the eye roll Julian gives me, “is if you guys fought? Broke up?”
Atticus doesn’t personally sound very invested in this situation, but with his brother so invested and his boyfriend silently backing the precious boy up, I guess he doesn’t really have a choice.
“None of your business,” I snap, my hands idly messing with the salt and pepper shakers before me.
“Barfred,” Atlas calls sweetly, peering up at me from behind thick lashes. “It’s a miserable thing to feel alone. And it’s even scarier to rely on someone, especially someone who has the ability to crush you.”
“He doesnothave the ability to—”
“I was talking about Landon.” Atlas stares at me with his glacier blue eyes, demanding and still so sweet.
Julian, on the other hand, is glaring daggers at me. Most likely because I just snapped at his boyfriend.
“You guys think I’ve crushed him?” I ask quietly.
