Page 219 of Bride of Choice

Rek’s frown turned into a scowl. “It necessary. Rek sorry. No hate Joanie. No want fight Joanie. No want sit by self like in times out, watch Oddits and Goober drool all over Jojoknee and make the loves with her and- and do like Rek do and not say all the things Jojomine likes and makes the efforts. Make Jo happy and be happy with my Jojo.”

He was struggling, his throat working, hand starting to tremble as he struggled to hold back emotions but get out everything he felt needed saying.

“Make Jojo more sad, Rek break own face.”

When I didn’t react, he shuffled closer, until he was practically on top of me. “Rek sorry.”

“For what?” my voice cracked but I kept my expression perfectly impassive.

“Being big, ridid-cue-luss, assed hole.”

“Don’t forget controlling, manipulative, gaslighting, jealous-” I ticked off on my fingers.

“Rek very jealous,” he growled out, baring his teeth at nothing over my shoulder.

Leaning in, he bent and carefully pressed his forehead to mine. That was the only part of him making physical contact with me.

Swallowing thickly, screaming in my head at myself not to fall for this shit again— it never ends well and I’m still licking my wounds from our last blow up —I tried to keep my composure but my choppy, uneven breaths gave me away.

The first to pull away, I still hadn’t made a single move to take the flower he was holding out to me.

I kept thinking about all the things he’d done and said before. I found the idea of him suddenly having a brain transplant and being a different person as crazy as it sounded.

“Thank you for the apology,” I murmured, gripping the door to close it.

“Jojo?” Rek looked like he wanted to push his way in but refrained.

Glancing up at him curiously, I waited.

“Rek want Jojomine back. Rek try. Rek keep try. Keep say sorry. Miss my Jo.” Swallowing thickly, he offered, “Jo can make sex with Rek any time Jojomine wants.”

“How generous of you,” I muttered wryly, “but I gotta say, I prefer my men willing and awake.”

Puffing his chest out, he thrust that tiny, pitiful flower at me. “Rek be good male. Jo see.”

“Rek… you said and did a lot of awful things. You’re going to have to forgive me for being skeptical here.”

“Rek prove. Jo see,” he insisted.

My eyes narrowed shrewdly as I studied him.

A panicked look entered his eyes but he was adamant. “Jo see. Want Rek be mate. Rek no say Jo do what Rek wants for babies and be Rek mate. Joansie make babies any times, all the times with Rek, whenever Jojoknee wants.”

He was hyper fixated on the whole making babies thing. I had a horrible feeling my drunk self had planted that seed somehow but I was pretty fuzzy on the night before. I could vaguely recall trying to pounce on him and Rek wrapping plastic wrap around his torso, then cuddling and falling asleep. A lot of the rest was a blur.

“Rek make smaller babies than Bum-bum. Bum-bum babies big.” Rek held his hands out for emphasis. “Rek babies no hurt Jo like Bum-bum’s babies.” Pointing at himself, he nodded. “Rek mama say Rek small baby. Sad. Pitiful. Rek not get big ‘til Rek older.”

“I thought you said you didn’t have a mama,” I blurted as the thought popped into my mind.

Glancing around as if he was worried someone might overhear, he leaned in and whispered, “Rek mama no want Rek. Rek say Rek no want her neither.”

“But you remember her,” I murmured.

“Rek… not little tiny baby, come to village,” he gruntingly mumbled, staring down at his feet. He was older. He could obviously recall being rejected by his own mother.

Damn me. Reaching out, I took the flower from him. With a sniff, I informed him haughtily, “It’s not because of anything you’ve just babbled at me like a baboon.” My finger smoothed over a petal. “I want this for tea.”

With something akin to a soft whoop, Rek hugged me to him, planted one on me, then left me standing there, dazed and confused, calling after me as he rushed off, “Rek show Jojomine. Jojo see! Rek good male!”

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