Page 72 of Bride of Choice

“Shriek,” Boog admitted, dead serious.

I laughed, but that laugh cut short when Gopher came barreling around the corner, nearly bulldozing Boog down as he asked him with a wild look in his eyes, “Bauheg see- Find my- Find Jo?” he burst out, to stop dead in his tracks as I peered around Booger’s wide form to give him a curious look.

Huh. So he did actually care as to my whereabouts.

“She not gone. She with friend.” Rek puffed self-importantly. “No leave to mama and dada’s all times, Gobber’d know. Not that Gobber care,” Rek huffed and puffed at him.

Blinking, staring stupidly at Rek in shock, I was on the verge of pinching myself to see if I was dreaming this all up when Gopher, as if anticipating my reaction, leaned forward lightening quick and covered my arm protectively.

Goph’s eyes met mine, locked, and that shockwave of electricity between us like a live wire sent my skin prickling.

Oh, I totally hit my head and I’m dreaming.

“Go’ care,” Gopher shot back, baring his teeth at Rek.

“No touch her!” Rek slapped Gopher’s hand away.

“Go’ touch! Rek no touch! Jo not Rek’s!” Gopher slapped Rek’s hand back and I swear I couldn’t make this shit up, they started slap fighting each other like two pissed off teenage fucking girls.

“Don’t. Not today. I’m not doing this today,” I warned them.

“No fights,” Booger grumbled.

“Rek no fight. Gobber fight,” Rek barked, pausing in his slap fight to glare at Gopher accusingly.

“Rek all the times fight. Rek small, stupid,” Gopher shot back.

And here we go, I thought, sighing heavily as Rek attempted to tackle Gopher.

“I’d ask if you’d like to ditch them and have a makeup movie night, daylight style, but I forgot my tablet and I’ve still gotta pop over to Rosa’s, get some cousin time and quality auntie-cousin-godmother moments in,” I called to Boog over the racket.

“Important cousins, babies times,” Booger said simply, nodding along as he spoke. “Next time,” he suggested.

“Absolutely,” I agreed.

“Gobber has the ass of faces!”

“Rek has shits on him’s face!”

“Children. They never do learn,” I muttered to myself as I took a small step back and shrugged at the look Boog was giving them. When Boog would have intervened, I shook my head and held him off. “Just let them. They need to learn to get along.”

“They kills each other?” Boog grunted out.

“I’ll miss the loser dearly? May the victor outrun me ‘cause they’re next?” I quipped.

Booger’s barked out laughter at my emphatic reply lightened the severity of the situation, cusswords and threats flying in the background notwithstanding.

Ignoring Rek and Gopher’s childish antics, I drank in the sight of my reluctant male. I’d missed Gogo boots. It was easy to distract myself from just how much playing house with a hunky Lo denaii that treated me nicely, and constantly reminding myself that Go’ had chosen to take off and leave without a word instead of at any point trying to come and seek an audience with me, make any kind of attempt after all that’s happened to explain himself, anything.

“I heard you were at your parents’,” I said conversationally into the awkward silence that followed.

“Go’ see family. See… about… about-”

“Goober stupid,” Rek grumbled.

“Stop it or leave,” I threatened. I wanted to hear what Gopher had to say for himself. In this moment, at least he was trying.

“Prolly take Rek things from Rek hut, give back to Jojoknee. Kisses all over her butts,” the huffy puffy male continued to grumble under his breath.

---