Page 24 of Bride of Choice

Rek wouldn’t leave me. I could put money down on that.

He was too stupid to leave me, that lunk head.

“Stops hitting Rek with Jojo’s purse- Why Jo wet?” he grumbled, frowning at my slightly damp clothes.

“I thought you were whisked away by daddy Kirch on some hunting trip?” I said instead.

“Rek go…” he muttered evasively.

“Where’s my damn ring?” I demanded to know as he grabbed my arm and tried to hustle me along.

With a disgustingly perfect imitation of innocence I wasn’t buying for a minute, he asked lightly, “What ring my Jojo wants?”

“And my tea,” I added dryly, my displeasure evident.

“Tea?” The overdone widening of his eyeballs is what ruined it for him.

“Cut the shit, you walking, talking Wampa. Where’s my stuff you stole?” Holding out my hand, I tapped my palm, my foot getting all tap happy along with while I impatiently waited for him to comply.

“Jojomine no needs thems. Come. We go,” he urged, his gaze darting around wildly.

“Why, because you snuck off into the night while he was asleep to come back to me?” I laughed at the idea but my companion didn’t.

When he hushed me and ducked to lead me along the river’s edge, my eyes widened. “You dumb mother fluffer… you didn’t?! Are you insane? Daddy Kirch is going to mangle your hide!”

“Kirch not Rek daddy,” Rek grumbled, giving me a dirty look. “Rek no haves daddy.”

Rolling my eyes, I muttered under my breath, “Not the point, doofus, but fine, your… adopta bro dude fur bud that dads you.”

“You dude-fuss. Rek not dude-fuss. Rek no… those things you say. Kirch neithers.”

“I’m a doofus? Well… I hang out with you, don’t I? Birds of a feather and all that,” I mumbled softly. “Point taken.”

“Joanie mouthy. Rek Kirch daddy,” he went on, huffing and puffing like I wasn’t whisper-muttering. “Kirch dude-fuss. Kirch wish him’s Rek daddy. Rek no need daddy.”

“I’m still mad at you,” I reminded him, cutting in on his blustering fussing.

When he said nothing, I eyed him. His gaze kept darting around like he was expecting some specter to pop out and spook us. What was the deal with-

“Why did you escape camping with Kirch?” I wondered out loud.

Rek’s snort was short but loud. “Be with Rek Jojo. Why else Rek leaves, make Kirch the angries him no find Rek?”

Frowning, I gave in when he wrapped an arm around my waist and took my hand in his, guiding me along as quickly as he could get my ass to hustle. My stomach twisted, realizing just how easily I rolled along with whatever bullshit he dished out, time and again. Doormat much? Fuck, I was. I totally was.

“Is this another trick?” I questioned, clucking my tongue at him, not sure if I should believe him. This was the absolute worst time for him to come at me with some pure bull shit.

“What trick?” he muttered, gaze darting about double time. “No sees Berkie, yes?”

“No… but what does Captain No Fun have to do with anything?” I muttered as he hurried me inside my place to hurriedly lock the door behind us.

“Hims watchings. Waits. Says Kirch no make Rek beed good,” he grumbled softly in a mock- snotty tone. Yeah, that sounded about right.

I had to frown at that. “Are you saying Berkr expects Kirch to make you a good lil boy? Does Berkr say you’re bad?”

His hand lifted in a halfhearted wave as he peeked out of my curtain. “Berkies says all bad. Jojomine too. Him’s stupid.” A grunt. “And ugly. Berkies beed lonely for the forever.”

Berkr was a total ass, I completely agreed, but it got me stuck on something— something that’s really been bothering me.

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