“Nope.”
Addie knew I was shacking up with Midas—her words, not mine—but Boaz was clueless.
Things were about to get interesting.
Gulp.
“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend,” Boaz said casually, his gaze zeroed in on Midas.
“I…” I wrapped my arms around Midas like Boaz might try to take him away from me, “…don’t.”
“Then what’s going on here?”
The words got stuck in my throat, and I don’t know why, but I couldn’t be the first to say them.
Understanding gentled Midas’s expression as he wiped his fingertips over my cheek. “She’s my mate.”
“She’s crying,” Boaz pointed out the obvious. “Why is she crying?”
“He makes her happy.” Addie popped him upside the head. “Look at them.”
Unable to articulate why it mattered so much, I pressed my face into Midas’s chest. “Thank you.”
Boaz loved me, had always loved me. The purity of his love was part of the reason why I never allowed our mother to overshadow our relationship. What she did to me was apart from us. That didn’t mean the stain didn’t bleed between my carefully separated layers at odd times, like this one.
It was hard feeling worthy of love, so hard, when I had learned early that it wasn’t given for free.
“You have nothing to thank me for.” Midas cradled the back of my head in his palm. “This is nothing.”
The tears started falling in earnest, and I strangled on old fear to say, “It’s everything.”
“You didn’t cry like that when we got engaged,” Boaz grumbled to Addie, unconvinced.
“I would have,” Addie said wistfully. “If I had known what I was getting into back then.”
“We were about to watch a movie.” Midas kept me close. “Care to join us?”
Addie and Boaz groaned in unison and leaned into each other.
“Depends.” She grimaced. “Who gets to pick the movie?”
With Midas holding me up, I found my own strength. “Our guests.”
“Have a seat.” Midas gestured to the living room, where one footstool was still wrapped in plastic. “We’ll go make popcorn.”
Addie’s face lit up like a kid at Christmas. “Linus popcorn?”
“Yes,” I said solemnly, aware it was a cult favorite for anyone who had tasted it. “Linus popcorn.”
Granted, I wasn’t nearly as skilled as him in the kitchen, but he had taught me how to make a damn fine bowl of popcorn by anyone’s standards.
Under Midas’s stare, I dug out my Dutch oven, cranked up the heat, and filled it with oil and kernels.
“I wasn’t hiding you from them,” I said when he didn’t make a peep. “I wanted to tell them in person.”
“I’m not upset.” His warm palm cupped my nape. “I’m…confused.”
“There are a lot of things about my childhood I haven’t told you.” I lowered my voice. “Or anyone else.” He glanced over his shoulder to where Boaz watched us like a hawk. “I want to explain it, to you, but…”
“Take your time.” He wrapped his arm around me again. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Vision wobbly, I gave the popcorn my full attention before I burned it and stank up the place.
A throat cleared in the living room, and I rolled my eyes. “Neither is my brother.”
“You could plead exhaustion.” Midas gave me a look that pooled heat in my middle. “Send them away.”
A smile tickled the edge of my mouth. “Do you really think that would work?”
“Probably not,” he confessed. “Boaz is going to want to stare me down a while longer.”
“That’s what I figured too.”
“How long does it take to make popcorn?” Boaz yelled right on cue. “Did you have to drive out to a field and pick the cobs yourselves?”
“Hush,” Addie hissed. “She’s a grown woman.”
His grunt of pain led me to believe she had smacked, elbowed, or otherwise hit him.
Not gonna lie. Her violent streak was one of the things I most admired about her. She was going to need all the luck, and sucker punches, she could get if she hoped to beat sense into my brother. The boy had a head like a rock.
“Almost finished,” I sang out sweetly. “I just need to toss it.”
Once I finished dousing the massive batch in salt and butter, I poured it into two giant bowls. While I got sodas from the fridge, Midas carried our snack to the living room. Wisely, he handed Addie the first bowl then claimed a spot where I could sink down next to him and curl into his side.
“So,” Boaz began as soon as my butt hit the cushion. “How long has this been going on?”
“Leave them alone.” Addie crammed a handful of popcorn into his mouth then turned to me. “I’m happy you found someone who loves you as much as you deserve.” She smiled warmly at Midas. “Remember, I might not be her sister by blood, but I won’t hesitate to spill yours if you hurt her.”
Choking on his popcorn, Boaz spat wet kernels across his lap. “What?”
“They’re mated.” Addie watched us. “That means he knows.”
Faster than my brain could process, Boaz had drawn a dagger from goddess knows where and rested its edge against Midas’s throat. He leaned over Midas, who held very still but showed no signs of concern.
Knuckles white, Boaz demanded, “You know who she is?”
“I do.”
Arms folded across my middle, I confessed, “He knows what I am too.”
“Goddess, Ame. Do you know how dangerous this is?” His eyes widened. “Does Linus know he knows?”
Tensing at the old nickname, I waited for the expected pain to hit, but only nostalgia filled me.
“Yes.” I rested my hand on his. “He knows.”
Searching my face, he kept his grip tight. “He’s okay with it?”
“I’m still breathing, aren’t I?”
Beside us, Addie blanched. “That’s not as comforting as you maybe thought it would be.”
The truth was rarely comforting. Linus was my fail-safe, my guarantee that should I go off the rails again, I would be put down before I turned into a monster to rival Ambrose. But it was hard to hear that, and for me to mean it somehow made it worse.
“I respect your concern for Hadley,” Midas said, crimson rolling across his eyes. “I even appreciate it.”
A shiver tripped down my spine, not fear of Midas but fear for Boaz.
“Lower the blade,” Midas continued, calm and reasonable, “or I will do it for you.”
“Boaz,” Addie said quietly.
“This is our home.” I put my foot down. “You’re our guest, but I will kick your butt if you don’t knock it off.”
“You’re the only little sister I’ve got.” Boaz lowered his arm. “I worry about you, dork.”
“Hadley will be the Potentate of Atlanta,” Midas reminded him. “She can handle herself.”
“You’re Lethe’s little brother.” Boaz relented under Addie’s warning glare. “Maybe it makes a difference, that you’re the baby, or maybe it doesn’t, but I worry about my sister.”