She slid into the back row and sat down on the end of the couch, Harmony and Dante sliding in past her. The oldest kids always took up the back couches. The middle row usually ended up being adults, while down front was the youngest kids’ territory.
“Where’s Ghost?” I asked.
“Fucked off back out there,” Slice said, about to head back out to grab more popcorn and drinks I imagine.
“Prime towing time,” Reaver agreed, and I nodded.
“Prospect!” Reaver crowed.
“Yeah! I’m comin’!” Noah called and appeared in the door handing over plastic bottles of Coke from the fridge, the outside hazy with condensation.
“Well pass ‘em out!” Slice frowned at him. “Don’t hand ‘em to me!”
“Shit, sorry!”
Reaver winked at me. “Hey! There are kids present! Watch your fuckin’ language!” He shoved Noah past him into the room and I chuckled.
“Sorry!” Noah said, harried, and Slice and I cracked grins along with Reave.
I mouthed the word, wow, and that just made Slice and Reave try to stifle their giggles. I caught Eden smiling up at me, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing too. I smiled down at her and gave a nod.
She arched an eyebrow and patted the space next to her and I shot her a nod.
Yeah, I’ll sit with you. Why not? I thought to myself. I was rewarded with the effervescent glow that I’d missed out on out front and I felt my heart practically levitate in my chest.
“Prospect, when you’re done, get me a bowl of the regular popcorn. None of that sweet shit.” Eden frowned and stuck her tongue out at me, throwing a piece of her kettle corn at me. I grinned.
“Be right back,” I said and went out and down the hall past the bathrooms to my club room, unlocking the door with the key off my key ring and slipping inside. I grabbed the Sherpa throw off the foot of my bed and one of my pillows taking it back with me.
I motioned for Eden to move over and fit myself against the arm of the couch as Reaver and Slice settled down in front of us. I stuffed the pillow against my side closest to Eden and put the throw over her. She smiled up at me and cuddled against my side and I wanted it to feel weird. I wanted it to feel wrong somehow, but it didn’t… it felt fucking perfect.
6
Eden…
I was warm and being cuddled into Sage’s side. It was so nice. I mean, I didn’t know why he was suddenly so accommodating. Like, was this some sort of weird pity snuggle or whatever? I didn’t care. I would take it. I would always take whatever opportunity there was to be close to Sage. Pathetic, I know…
We took a break when Nightmare was over so everyone could use the bathroom or whatever. I was a little put out when Dante needed to get up and I grinned sheepishly at Harmony when she gave me a secretive thumbs up. I kind of rolled my eyes and gave her a face that said just how much I was in heaven as much as I couldn’t believe this was even happening.
She ducked her head and wrinkled her nose, her grin so big it threatened to spill over into a fit of giggles.
That I did not want and when I turned my head and looked up, I caught Sage looking at me with a curious expression. I smiled shyly and shrank to, I swear, about three inches tall, which made him laugh slightly and shake his head as he put an arm around me and gave me a squeeze.
“Yo, prospect!” he called out and Noah’s head popped up over the back of one of the bottom row recliners as he sat forward. “Change the disc so I don’t have to,” Sage ordered, and I felt a tingling at the back of my scalp, a blush of pleasure that he didn’t want to get up. That he would rather stay like this with me.
I didn’t know what had gotten into Sage, but I liked it. I hoped whatever it was, was a permanent affliction.
“What’s next?” Noah asked.
“The pile’s in order, dipshit. Figure it out.”
“Got it,” Noah said indifferently. He was used to the hazing. Really used to it. We all were in that we’d seen it all growing up. More prospects washed out than made it, and a lot of the prospects ended up going off to other club chapters rather than sticking around here. Although that was mostly because Kentucky and job prospects – legitimate jobs that is, were hard to come by in our small corner of the world.
We watched Gremlins, and by the end of that, little Miracle was out. Reaver picked her up and took her to one of the club rooms. Probably Ghost’s. If he was working and Shelly wasn’t here, she was likely trying to catch up on bookkeeping. She loved her kids more than life itself, but even she needed some kind of break sometimes. That was usually why Harmony was always on the hook for babysitting. Or me. Which is why Harmony and I really didn’t get much time to hang out together anymore. I kind of couldn’t wait until the babysitting torch got passed to Eldritch. I mean, it was starting to… sometimes.
“You good?” Sage murmured, and I nodded against him.
“I should probably get up and go to the bathroom before this next one, but I don’t want to.”
He chuckled.
“Up you go, pretty girl,” he said and again with that tingling glow from the praise.
“I’ll come too,” Harmony declared, and we got up and went to use the bathroom.
We had to wait in line outside the two that were out near the common room. The boys, Ranger and Dalton were each in one taking their time. Dalton was officially old enough to stay up for the whole marathon, but Ranger was about to be cut off after Die Hard. Krampus would give him nightmares.
“So, what’s with you and Sage?” Harmony asked me in a whisper.
“No idea,” I whispered back. “Like, I literally have no clue – but I’ll take it.”
“I’m so happy for you!” she beamed, and I shook my head slightly.
“I don’t expect it to last, maybe he’s drunk or high or something. I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
“Oh, Eedee…” Her face lost its ecstatic expression, crushing down into a frown. She pulled me into a tight hug and said on the tail end of a sharp sigh, “I hate that for you. You should be able to be happy. You deserve to be happy.”
“I know,” I said, and it was a somber thought. I did deserve to be happy, and I honestly didn’t know why I was so hung up on Sage, but I was, and it honestly couldn’t be any different. No matter who I encountered, no one held my attention or fascination like Sage did. It wasn’t like I wanted it to be like this.
Love unrequited sucked and it sucked hard.
We broke apart and Harmony rolled her eyes and pounded on the bathroom door, shouting, “Dalton! Quit fucking around in there! Eedee and I have to pee!” She rolled her eyes and muttered, “Jesus.”
I knew the feeling. Little brothers could be so annoying… speaking of… I stared at my best friend and didn’t know how to ask about her and Dante. I mean, it was awkward. What my brother did was none of my business but I wanted to be happy for my best friend at the same time.
Ugh… Drama.
I didn’t have a chance to ask or to even say anything because Dalton finally opened the bathroom door.
“Ugh! Finally!” Harmony cried. “You better not have pissed on the seat or anything.”