I slump down on the bench and drop my head back against the wall. “Yes, Father.”
When I leave, I form a plan. I need something bold, so the guys don’t just dismiss me or tell me that I’m not the one who calls the shots.
This time, I’m calling the shots.
AMercilessSoule: I need to talk to you.
AnAvengingAngel: wsp
AHeartlessHeathen: which 1 of us?
AMercilessSoule: all of u
AnAvengingAngel: about?
ASoullessSaint: how tf did u get my #
AHeartlessHeathen: time & place
AMercilessSoule: my room 1 hr
AnAvengingAngel: kk lil mama
AHeartlessHeathen: ill b there
I’m disappointed by Saint’s reaction, but I can’t pretend I’m surprised. I’ll just have to hope that he shows. If I know my brother, he’ll be too pissed by the thought of being left out and not knowing what we talked about to skip, even if he won’t confirm in the group chat I created.
An hour later, I’ve set up my room to receive guests for the first time. Every time they’ve come over before this, they barged in unannounced and uninvited. This time, I set up my pillows in comfortable places at the head and foot of my bed, pull my chair out, and set up a spot on the floor with pillows where I can sit and face them. I’ve also prepared snacks, if only to calm my nerves and busy my hands while I wait.
Angel and Heath arrive together, knocking first but entering before I have a chance to open the door. Heath bounds in, looks around, and sniffs the air.
“Hot cocoa?” he asks, and I deliver a mug to him. A few minutes later, we’re all seated when Saint arrives. Unlike the others, he waits for me to open the door and invite him in, though he looks less than pleased and a little suspicious when he steps inside, like he thinks we’re staging an intervention.
“Well, spit it out, little sister,” he grouses, dropping into the chair we left for him.
“Yeah, what’s this about?” Angel asks.
“Want us to run a train on you?” Heath says, blowing on his cocoa. “We don’t need formal invitations for that. Just say the word, and we’ll be there. We’re always up for a gang bang.”
“No,” I say, sitting cross-legged on my floor pillow. “I actually wanted us all to be on the same page about what we talked about the other day. About your sister.”
Heath scowls, but he doesn’t make a lewd or smartass comment for once.
“You know I’m looking, and Saint knows,” I say. “Now Angel knows—if you didn’t already.” I turn to him, my throat tightening at the memory of his betrayal, and what we did before that. He just nods, cool as always.
“What do you hope to accomplish with this?” Heath asks. “Are you just trying to get us to band together, like some Scooby Doo bullshit, so we’re all on the same team and you can pretend you never fucking sold us out?”
“No,” I protest. “I know it won’t be like before. It’ll never be the same, even if we find her. We’re not kids anymore. And after what happened with us…”
“You mean how you fucked Angel?” Saint demands. “Or Heath? Or wait, how you swallowed my cum like a thirsty slut?”
I swallow hard, refusing to let his cruel words break me. “Yes,” I say. “Angel, you said I was absolved. Did you mean that?”
He glances at the others, and I think I see a bit of guilt there, but then he shrugs. “Yeah,” he says. “I’m not mad about what you did anymore.”
“Heath?” I ask, turning to him and drawing a breath. “I said I was sorry. Do you forgive me?”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” he says. “But I think we’re even.”
