Page 286 of Bride of Choice

“Don’t break her now,” Rosa teased, then let out a little o of surprise when Mal gave her a hug and whispered something to her I couldn’t make out.

“I make no promises,” Rosa muttered as Mal let her go, to a soft laugh from Mal.

When I looked to Rosa, she answered the unspoken question, “Tokre is waiting for me. Took a seat right next to Bum- uh, erm…”

“Hyde,” Bum-bum/Hyde supplied for her from outside. “Tokre show Hyde finger words.”

“Hyde?” Rosa mumbled, then shook her head. She mouthed, I thought he was Jeh-kal? With confusion.

“Like warrior in Jojo stories,” he supplied.

“Villain, antihero, self-created own worst enemy in an attempt to hide his own inner evil impulses, horroresque gothic tale, I think you mean,” I sarcastically corrected. With a sigh, I muttered, “I should have told him about Multiplicity instead. So many Michael Keatons… so little time.”

“Tor want Jo.” There was a loud grunt. “No want anyfing eltse. No want hurt other Lo denaii for acting like we big but stupid, hurt chest. No care no more. No yell and snarls in head, angry, mad. Scary bad male no more. Want be goot. All Tor want, just want Jo.”

Riiight. Uh-huh. Okay. Pfft. “I refuse to believe the hoo-ha was that good it made you want to give up any and all thoughts of revenge for feeling slighted and turn your entire existence around and be one with yourself,” I called sweetly.

Rosa stared at me, wide-eyed. I guess the shocks just kept rollin’ in for her today too.

Hyde’s rumble-purring reply had my face reddening along with my cousin’s.

When a hysterical giggle full of what the fuck left me, he thought to add, “Rek no dead, jes? Still has all him’s fur and parts, yes? Slights my Jo, slights US.” To reiterate, he added, “Jo no like maim other males. Won’t like us. We just want Jo.”

“You can’t bear to part with the Glamazon hootenanny. You might die,” I intoned dramatically, placing my hand on my chest.

“What hood-tan-nanny?” he muttered quite loudly.

A deep rumbled growl-speak answered him.

His affirmative grunt of an answer was answer enough but he felt the need to loudly call out emphatically, “Jo and hood-tan-nanny, jes.”

A laugh burst out of me, unbidden. It felt awful and good at the same time.

Rosa rolled her eyes, caught me rolling mine at that too, and we snorted simultaneously.

“I’d say TMI,” Rosa whispered, “but I’m oddly invested in how this all plays out.” That’s oddly… sweet, she mouthed, shrugging and ducking out of swatting range. A grin stole over her face. I knew then she was on team Jeh-kal, the traitor.

“We Jo’s. That how plays to the outs. Jo ours,” he answered, because crazy Lo denaii hearing.

“We’re a we now, are we? You, yourself, and Irene? Well, I dunno about none of that, axe boy, but I do know this, the muffin shop is closed.” Pursing my lips, my eyes narrowed and I folded my arms across my chest. “If that’s what you’re hanging around here for, a chance at all o’ this, don’t hold your breath.”

“Who I-reen?” Hyde grumbled.

Rosa coughed to cover up a laugh but her eyes started to water, she was trying to hold it in that hard. “I’m sorry, but you two are weirdly adorable,” she laughingly croaked out. “He’s like a male version of you once you’ve set your mind to something. If a bit on the primal side…”

“My god- What?” I squawked. “What’s the matter with you?! You don’t say things like that! You shut your mouth. You shut it right now!”

But it was too late. Hyde’s purr was so loud it sounded like a diesel engine was revving outside.

Waving a hand wildly at the door, I gave her a dirty look. “See? See what you just did?! You’re encouraging him, you- you monster romance enabler! He sounds all sweet and coy, but he’s a beast! One half of him did just about everything in his power to convince me the other half of him was no good. He insisted he was no good, then wooed me despite it, to reject me yet again, and in-between there somewhere, he saved my bacon a couple times as if to make it all even stevens, but that’s not how it works!”

The diesel engine rev promptly cut off.

It let the funny noises Rosa was making fill the room.

“Hyde not bad no mores,” he rumbled out softly, sounding contrite, chagrined.

“I’ll believe that when I see it! Hmmph,” I harrumphed.

---