I nodded.
“You deserved it,” Helen said.
“She’s in there,” I said and pointed to her bedroom.
Katie stepped up first and tapped on her door. “Maron?”
“Go away,” Maron said.
“Helen and Grace are here, too.”
“I’m not opening the door until Sterling goes away.”
Helen frowned and turned to me. “Break it down,” she whispered.
My eyebrows hit my hairline. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
I raised one foot and kicked her door in. Maron’s outraged squawks reached me before the door had even finished landing. All I saw was her enraged face running toward me. I held up my hands.
“Stop!” Grace yelled.
Maron stopped and blinked in surprise.
“Enough nonsense, you two,” she barked. “Soulmates are a once in in a lifetime thing. Sterling, you’re a idiot. Maron, he’s here now. That means something. How much more are you going to torture the poor bastard? We all know you want him. We can all see he wants you. You’ve broken his nose. That should make it equal. Now get out here and kiss and makeup before I kick everyone’s ass!”
“Hormones,” Helen whispered. “It’s twice as bad with supes.”
“You too, Helen,” Grace snarled.
Helen pretended to zip her lips up.
I stared hopefully at Maron. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were swollen from crying.
Grace motioned her out. “We’re leaving. If we hear one more thing smash, so help the gods, I’ll come back in here and whip both your asses.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Maron and I muttered dutifully.
Grace ushered all of her friends out the door leaving me and Maron staring at each other.
“If you say you’re sorry one more time, I’m going to risk Grace’s wrath,” Maron whispered.
“Be with me,” was all I said.
She took a few hesitant steps forward and paused at a particularly large portion of her broken door. “Only if you fix this.”
“Deal,” I said and held my arms out to her.
She let out a sob and stepped into them. I tightened my arms around her and breathed in her strawberry scent.
Home. Maron was my home.
And I would do anything to keep her from leaving me.
