Which, okay, sure. Maybe I waspartof the problem. But he had absolutely played a role.
Not that being a hot bodyguard was a crime exactly, but it was easier to blame him.
Still, I had to pretend nothing happened because the pack had decided tonight was movie night, and despite working together, living together, and occasionally wanting to kill each other, we also somehow chose to spend our free time together.
Hero had chosen the movie tonight and, for once, veered off his usualScreammarathon with a new slasher that had come out.
“Why do these idiots always split up? Like, yeah, Becky, you’ll definitely outrun the guy with the chainsaw in your six-inch heels if you head off into the woods alone. Survival of the dumbest, honestly,” Hero said. His dark hair had gotten unruly, longer strands shoved back from his angled face. Strong brows cut sharp lines above his eyes—expressive enough that I always knew whether to keep my distance or risk getting closer.
“As if you could do any better,” Mason added. He always felt like the opposite of Hero.
And he was Hero’s opposite in every way. Where Hero radiated cold detachment, Mason carried warmth. Golden skin, dark features, a grin that felt like sunlight—paired with an easy, happy-go-lucky energy that made him my favorite more often than not.
“In heels or running from a killer with a chainsaw? Let’s say I don’t have to wear the heels—I would kill him first? They always run away, but no one seems to make a solid plan to kill the huge bear of a man who can barely run.”
The girl on the screen died, the killer attacking her as she screamed, thrashing hard until the other people in her group heard her. I didn’t mind slashers, but scary movies in general weren’t my thing. I never knew if it was my attention span or the movie, but my mind drifted away too often to keep up.
“You mock it, but you chose the movie,” I said.
“And I’m loving every second of it. It only makes me feel more sure that if I ever had to run from a psychotic, knife-wielding maniac, I’d be more of a maniac and kill him first.”
Harper met my eye before swinging back to him with an eyebrow cocked. “Are you insinuatingyouwouldn’t be the knife-wielding maniac?”
Hero grinned, the dim light from the TV casting him in aneerie light. “You’re right. Would you like to take a walk through some dark woods with me, Harper?”
She rolled her eyes, fixing them back on the TV as Hero leaned the slightest bit closer to her. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. Honestly, Harper was starting to look just as hopeless with Hero as I was with Aiden. I chewed on my bottom lip, a familiar worry stirring in my gut—but I wasn’t sure if it was for her or for myself.
“Are you threatening me?” she asked.
“Don’t you take everything I say as a threat?” Hero asked, not even looking away from the movie.
“Considering you are a legit serial killer, yes, I do.”
He only smiled more, proud as she turned away from him. “Good.”
Another victim screamed on the screen, the endless sound grating on my nerves. I was too tired for this. I also couldn’t stand sitting here keeping my eyes in line with the TV while Aiden was on the couch across from me.
It wouldn’t matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t ignore Aiden when we were in the same room. It’s like my body knew the second we were close, not letting me forget—even if he was right next to me—that I couldn’t reach out and touch him.
Zack threw himself over the back of the couch next to me. I don’t know if he realized how much I noticed him always trying to be near me, but I didn’t show it. He kept trying regardless.
He smiled, but his eyes lingered a beat too long on my face.
“What’s up?” he asked, knocking his shoulder into mine. “You look tired.”
Before I could give him hell, Aiden interrupted. “You should go to bed.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you are tired,” he said slowly, “you should go to bed, because I do not want to deal with your cranky ass tomorrow.”
“Who insinuated you had to deal with me at all?”
His jaw twitched in annoyance, his eyes flicking to Rook, and the anger in my chest burned.
Of course, it would always be because of Rook.
The fact I had to face was Aiden would always be indifferent to me. Sure, I annoyed him sometimes, and sometimes he cared if I stayed alive or not, but past simple friendly care, he was indifferent.
