“Oh, for fuck’s sake, dude!” I cry out, and he only laughs harder. “Keep your fetishes contained, would ya?”
“Don’t start something you can’t finish, honey.” He winks.
We stop by Archie's car to get his overnight bag on the drive to Alex's house. He asks questions about Alex here and there, most of which I cannot answer. Well, some of them I can, but I wouldn’t. So I successfully deflect them. Those things are not mine to share. By the time we reach the driveway to the cabin, I feel like Archie looks at me with much more respect. The flirting has died down considerably.
The lights are on in every single window, and I hope we’re not interrupting some fun time. At least somebody’s getting some.
“You’re sure you’re fine to drive here?” He asks again, and it makes my hackle rise.
"What? Do you think they usually throw me out, and I'm just trying to snake my way in using you?”
“No,” he laughs, “I meant if it’s not too much out of the way for you?”
"Ah, no, it's fine." I guess I'm used to being treated like an outsider. Any stranger who meets me for the first time in their life automatically goes into the category of someone to beware of. My brain is so messed up. “I really needed to stop by and drop this off.” I shake a package in front of me. Amazon can never find Alex’s house in the woods, so Freya sends packages to the diner’s address.
We walk up to the house and knock. They told me not to, but one time I walked in on Alex's naked ass plunging into my friend, and I got enough trauma for a lifetime, so I'm cautious now. It's more self-preservation than a courtesy at this point.
The door swings open. “Kay, how many times we told you not to kno—”
Alex’s words cut off when he sees Archie. They both stare a moment before enveloping each other in an embrace. A brotherly hug. I can tell neither of them are the touchy-feely type, and that makes the moment even more special. My eyes swell, and I bite my lip as I try not to make a sobbing sound. Seeing Alex so accepting after years of being a repressed dude… man, that’s some strong onion-cutting stuff. I look at Freya, frozen witha spatula—dear universe, save us all tonight—in the kitchen, and her eyes are misty as well. I guess it's even more touching for her after all the shit they went through together in such a short time.
When the guys let go of each other, they take a step back simultaneously.
“You’re still one ugly son of a bitch,” Alex says with a smile.
“And you’re still smooth as fucking sandpaper," Archie responds with a punch to his arm. They both laugh.
Freya’s light footsteps can be heard behind Alex, and she appears next to him. “Come in, guys.” She smiles.
“You must be Freya,” Archie says, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. Alex growls. Like legitimately growls as a beast would. I can’t stop the chuckle from escaping, and he shoots me a death glare, causing me to laugh out loud.
“One smooth fucker,” Freya says. Archie’s brows shoot up, and he lets out a belly laugh.
“I guess I am.” He lets go of her hand.
“And you’re a traitor.” Alex pokes my arm.
“One smooth fucker, as she said.” I poke him back.
“How did you end up together here?” he asks suspiciously. His accusing gaze’s fixed on Archie.O-o-oh. He’s going all big brother on me. I’m secretly exultant.
“My car broke down in your lovely town. And my phone died,” Archie says, emphasizing ‘lovely.’ “And everything is freaking closed at five. Kayla’s a lifesaver.” He gestures at me. “When it turned out that we both knew you, she offered me a ride.”
Alex nods. “Where’s your car now? We need to ask Justin to take a look at it.”
We look at each other with Archie. "Yeah, about that. That might be a little problem here." He doesn't sound happy about it. I guess it finally hit him that Justin is Alex's friend, and the situation might get messy. But then his face brightens up as if he read my mind. The guy likes messy.
“Why?” Alex looks confused.
“Because the dude was an asshole to Kayla, and I had to step in. So, we’re not really on friendly terms at this very moment.” He makes a sour face.
Freya and Alex groan in unison, and Archie looks from one to the other, looking confused. “Is there something I should know?”
"Too long of a story," Alex says with a shrug, and I get a suspicion that he might know why Justin behaves the way he does toward me. I notice Freya's looking at him suspiciously too, and I feel a little better. So, she doesn't know why either. I got scared for a second that she knew something and wasn’t telling me. I’d feel utterly betrayed.
I squint my eyes at Alex, and for a moment, I see anger and disappointment with…me? It changes after a blink, but it was there.It was there.And now I wonder if something really happened that I don’t know about. Alex has been nothing but kind to me this whole time. Usually.
Considering how my day started, how yesterday finished, and how it's going now, I should be on my not-so-merry way.
