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We’re tense.
“Kitsuwon Securities 1 – Triple Shield 3,” Oscar says the new tally we’ve been keeping of wins. And we just fucked it.
“Dammit,” Akara curses under his breath.
I lightly tap my knuckles to his shoulder.
His lips nearly rise.
And then Sulli runs over to us. Her long legs pumping like she’s racing against a clock. Though, she’s still unsteady on her feet, teetering a little. Farrow and Oscar leave us, and Akara catches Sulli around the waist before she crashes into my chest.
“What the fuck?” she curses at us, concern welled up in her eyes.
My dumbass almost reaches out to touch her head in gentle affection. Flashes of cameras still ignite at the other end of Snowmanville. Not sure if they’re capturing pictures of Xander or of us.
I’m a bodyguard here, and she’s a Meadows. Nothing more.
“You know what that was like…watching you two physically hit each other?” she asks as Akara lets her go, then she slugs my arm and turns, slugging his arm. “It felt like that, but ten million times worse. And why are you two smiling at me?!”
‘Cause I love her, but I have to pocket the words for later. “Maybe your cousin should’ve let you intervene sooner. All the anger in me just died.”
She smiles.
“Sulli the Peacemaker,” Akara says, smiling too.
“What if I want to be Sulli the Fighter?”
I remember Donnelly’s response to Sir Frost Squall’s appendages. “Why not both?” I ask her.
She looks from me to Akara and smiles even more. She has both of us. I have both of them. Akara has both.
We all have each other.
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
“Fucking fuck,” Sulli curses. “I don’t even want to look.”
But Akara and I have to.
We pull out our phones and read the newest bomb-drop.
THE ROYAL LEAKS
We reveal all the truths about the American Royals. These are verified and come directly from the source.
ROYAL LEAK #1: Maximoff Hale bottomed for Farrow last night.
#TodaysLeaks #Sex&Tell #DoTheDirty
Sulli is wincing. “It’s fucking bad, isn’t it?”
I turn and notice Farrow whispering in Maximoff’s ear while Xander is about done with the snowman. And Maximoff is expressionless. Like he’s been frozen in a chunk of solid ice for decades and hasn’t thawed out yet.
“It’s Moffy?” Sulli guesses.
“Yep.” Akara tenses. “Something about his sex life.”
“Fuuuck,” Sulli draws out. “He’s so private about that…oh no.” We all watch as Maximoff speaks to his little brother, then walks up a small slope towards the gardens. Farrow at his side, they’re leaving for the only semblance of privacy at this event. The hedge maze.
“We have to find this fudging mole,” Akara says, glaring out in the distance.
“If only it were a mole made out of fudge,” Sulli says with a nod, “then we could just melt him. Stick him under a fucking lamp, and bam. He’s chocolate syrup.”
Her joke alleviates the bad news, and we all share a small smile. With simple understanding, we all try to rebuild the demolished snowman for Maximoff. The proceeds tonight are going to LGBTQ+ homeless youth, and I’m feeling even worse about the fight. Not to mention, we might’ve fucked someone’s chances at a Winter Fest trophy.
I crouch down, fingers numb as I work on the snowman’s torso. They’ve both dropped to their knees, and she asks, “Is the fight over then?”
“We’ll be done fighting as soon as Akara hires my dad back—”
“I haven’t fired him yet,” Akara admits, packing in snow.
I glower. “But you said—”
“I lied.”
“You fucker.” I gather a fist of snow but think better than to throw it at his face.
“Hey, good call,” he compliments with a pat on my shoulder.
“Is that supposed to kill my anger?”
“No, but maybe Sulli will.”
I expect her to respond. Nothing.
We glance over at a quiet Sulli. Fingers pressed to her lips, she stares off. Her face has gone pale.
I reach over to Sulli fast, arms curving around her body. Someone had way too many spiked drinks tonight.
“We need to get her home,” I tell Akara.
He sees what I do. “Carry her,” he orders.
Easiest command tonight. I scoop her up in my arms. Standing with Sulli, I cradle my girlfriend and whisper, “Close your eyes. Breathe through your nose.”
“Everything is spinning,” she whispers, hand to her face. “People are fucking staring, aren’t they?”
Camera flashes click click click, and Akara by my side, we move out with urgency to the parking lot. We don’t slow.
Maybe the fact that I’m holding her will subdue some of the Kitsulli rumors that’ve been annoying Akara and Sulli. Maybe that was Akara’s plan all along.
39
SULLIVAN MEADOWS
Back at the penthouse, embarrassment roasts me. Why’d I drink so fucking quickly? I sip my third glass of water, a couple inches away from Banks and Akara and their towering, intimate concern. How concern can be so intimate—I’ve never known until now, under their caressing gazes that sweep and stroke me head-to-toe.
