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Fallon finally broke his staring contest with Elena to address me. The annoying part of me was tempted to ask who had won, but I figured that I wanted to keep all my limbs intact, thank you very much.
“We saved you a guest bedroom upstairs. Third door on the right.”
“You didn’t need to do that. I could sleep on the couch, easily. You’re giants; I’m a little pixie creature.”
Fallon gave me a cold stare. “Don’t argue with me, Adelaide.”
Glaring right back, I huffed and grabbed the candle from the table.
I really didn’t think it was practical to give me a bed. All of the guys were bigger than me, and I would be perfectly comfortable on the sofa or floor. Despite this, I knew arguing with Fallon was futile, especially when he had his scary face on.
You don’t mess with Fallon when he’s wearing his scary face.
“I’ll come with you,” Ryder broke in, jumping to his feet. At his announcement, Calax’s head whipped in our direction. Something undefinable fluttered across his hard features.
It almost looked like fear.
What did Calax have to be afraid of?
“You don’t have to leave on my account,” I sighed. I was feeling more and more like a little girl whenever they babied me. What would be next? Would I be able to piss without one of them standing guard?
I really had to have a talk with them about the whole macho-male-alpha-caveman thing they had going on.
“I was going to go to bed anyway,” he answered. I eyed him suspiciously but eventually nodded when I saw only sincerity in his expression.
We were leaving the kitchen, towards the living room, when I heard Elena question Calax about the remainder of the candles we had used on our date.
“I swear to Satan if you burn my house down, I will end you.”
I decided I liked Elena even more.
As we walked through the living room, I instinctively gripped Ryder’s arm. The last thing I wanted was to face-plant into a chair because I lost my footing. At least by gripping him, I could throw him down first so he would catch my fall.
Yeah. Totally stellar logic.
“Did you speak to Ronan yet?” I pressed as we reached a fork in the hallway. I knew one direction would lead towards the bedrooms while the other would bring us to the bathroom and study. Ryder paused there, holding the candle away as he turned to stare at me.
“Ronan?” he asked, blinking rapidly. He looked confused, but I could clearly see beneath his apathetic front. Ryder had a tell: whenever he was anxious, he would tap out a song on his thigh. The song was always different, though lately the pattern seemed to be similar. I wondered if he even realized he was doing it.
I watched his fingers pound erratically against his jeans as he played a song only he could hear.
“He’s worried about you,” I explained. My hand itched to take his. I didn’t like seeing him distressed. It made me want to do something, want to say something, to take his pain away.
“Why would he be worried?” he questioned.
Tap. Tap tap. Tap.
“Because you’re his brother, and he loves you.”
His hand stilled against his jeans before turning into a claw and bunching up the fabric. It was then that I did reach for him, smoothing out his fingers and tracing gentle circles on his palm. Ryder needed gentleness. I didn’t know how I came to that particular conclusion, only that I knew it was true. He could hide his pain all he wanted behind his bad-boy, rockstar persona, but I knew the truth.
Ryder craved love. It was for this reason that he indulged himself in a different girl every night. He craved the power, the control, the break in reality, if only for a moment.
“You should talk to your brother,” I continued softly, tilting my head up to meet his smoldering golden eyes.
“Yes.” He glanced down at me, and the same undefinable expression I had seen earlier flickered over his face. My heart began beating rapidly inside my chest.
Something was happening between us, something I didn’t entirely understand. I knew that I loved Calax - I loved him with a ferociousness that surprised even me - but my heart was big.
