Page 237 of Bride of Choice

He wishes!

Every time I saw one of them, all I could think about was them bloodied and mangled from tearing the shit out of each other.

“Go’ stay, Odix go,” Gopher rumbled out.

“Go’ go, Odix stay,” Odix fired back. “Why Go’ think him stay, make Odix go?!”

Gopher said something to Odix that had the thick beast grumbling petulantly back at him.

“Fine. ‘Kay. Odix go,” he muttered morosely. Walking to the door, he glanced over his shoulder at me, trying to do so unobtrusively, but there was no subterfuge with the male, not with this shit.

Quirking an eyebrow at him, crossing my arms over my chest, I waited him out.

Door open, pillow and basket pressed to his chest possessively, he stood just outside it now, glancing over his shoulder at me to his left, to quickly turn and look to Gopher to his right.

I didn’t say a damn word, even if I thought his antics were oddly endearing.

“Night-night. Bye-bye.” Gopher came up and shut the door on Odix, wedging it back into place in a way I had to admit I probably couldn’t possibly attempt even with help. My door was fucked, yet again. My new door and doorframe couldn’t be installed soon enough.

“Don’t get any ideas,” I muttered, dragging Bum-bum’s pelt over to his designated corner so he could use it as a makeshift sleep mat. tossing the blanket from Bum-bum over to him next, I turned, giving him my back, and quickly swapped my day hoodie for my nighttime one.

Changing my shirt beneath my sweatshirt, I gave him a hah-hah look. Someone thought they were going to get a look at the goods. Not gonna happen.

“Why not with Rek?” Gopher asked as he set up his bed and took all of our dishes to place them in my wash bin.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” I informed him primly.

“It not,” he said easily. “Joanie strong, independlant wooman. She can take care self.” Gopher’s shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Go’ want help. Support,” he stressed.

Climbing into bed, I paused, shot back up, and turned to him at that. Throwing my hands up, I whirled around and flopped onto the bed. “Alright, who the hell have you been talking to?”

Gopher turned to me with a perfectly innocent expression I was so not buying.

“Spill it or I’m inviting Odix to swap places with you,” I threatened.

“Gopher can’t know things? Learn things? That not Gopher business?”

“Since when did you start going by Gopher?” I harped. My god, he was throwing my own bullshit back in my face. I was weirdly proud of the gangly troublemaker.

“Whatever. I don’t care.” My hand lifted and I flapped it towards his assigned sleeping spot. “Go snuggle down into the floor and think about how else you’re going to try and finagle your way back into my good graces.”

“Draft under door,” he said into the silence that followed as we both settled in for the night and I turned the lights out.

“Then why don’t you go warm up with Odix? His place is all fixed up now and toasty warm. No drafts. It was one of the things I checked myself,” I muttered, tugging my comforter up to my chin, my back to him.

“‘Kay,” Gopher muttered. I listened as he hopped up and walked to the door.

Really? Just like that? Pfft.

No sooner did Gopher have the door open did I hear Odix quickly rumble, “Have nightmare. Come sleep here?”

Rolling over, I eyed the pair shrewdly. He had a nightmare? Can he come sleep here? “Where are you two getting this shit from?!”

Odix glanced from me to Gopher hopefully. “Odix stay?”

“Sure. Fuck it! Why the fuck not?! Anyone else want to have a sleepover?” Throwing my hands up in exasperation, I rolled back over.

“Rek outside too. Call Odix dummy face, stinky beast,” Odix muttered as he walked right over to me, slid his arms underneath me, scooped me up, and then climbed right into bed with me, laying me half on top of him. Pushing my pillow over, he placed his under his head. I assumed his basket was by the bed as it was nowhere in sight.

---