Page 12 of Origins

I followed at her heels, letting the door slam shut behind us. The flickering fluorescent lights saved us from the darkness outside, and that’s when I realized my looming dread wasn’t tethered to the outside. Instead, it stuck around, festering at the idea of bringing Callie into my apartment. Not just because of Jace and Kane, but because I knew it’d be well below her usual living standards.

My heart pounded a little louder with each step we took toward my apartment. When we reached the door, I hesitated. My hand remained poised in front of the handle, and I wondered if I’d be better off telling Callie I forgot my house key. If I did that, maybe we could just go hang out at her place.

… A house filled with heroes, parents, andJack. Nope, my apartment was somehow the lesser of two evils.

With that in mind, I finally unlocked the door, bracing myself for her reaction. I was a little impressed byhow clean the apartment had remained during my time away. Sure, it smelled like weed and mildew, but that was nothing new. Plus, the vanilla-scented candle on the table did a good job of masking the odors.

A relieved sigh escaped my lips as I bent down to take off my shoes. Callie followed my lead. The apartment was blissfully quiet, but I should have known this was the calm before the storm.

The second I straightened my back, rapid footsteps came clomping down the hall. Before I could even react to the noise, Jace rounded the corner, naked as the day he was born. His cock stood at attention, casting a perpendicular shadow on the wall.

“Lord Sulien is home—is that a girl?”

Jace stopped mid-stride, his brown eyes pinned on Callie. Her body became stiff as a board, and she exhaled a shaky breath as she examined the man in front of her. Jace’s long hair swayed as he shifted from one leg to the other, his cock twitching as he stared at my girl.

“Where the fuck are your clothes?” I snapped as coherent thoughts returned to me.

“Where the fuck are your clothes?” Jace mocked, waving his hands in the air. “You’re late, I’m horny, where do you think my fucking clothes are?”

His attention slowly turned to Callie as he extended a finger in her direction. “I don’t know who you are or why you’re here, but Sulien’s getting fucked. You can either take your pants off or leave.”

Callie’s eyes bugged out of her head as a flush crept up her neck. She took a slight step back, hiding herself behind me. Heat spread from my chest to my face as a feeling of mortification fully sunk in. This was a complete and utter nightmare, one that got worse every time Jace opened hismouth.

“Shut. Up.” I growled, shooting him a glare.

Jace smirked, seemingly enjoying the chaos he’d created.

“What happened to wanting me to wait for you by the door? What were the exact words you used?” Jace pursed his lips off to the side and placed his hands on his hips. “Oh yeah! ‘I want you to stay on your knees, begging for my return like the dog you are.’”

“Jace!”

Jace’s smirk deepened, and I could see the gears turning in his head; no doubt he was searching for another way to twist the emotional knife he’d lodged in my back.

“Oh, come on, Sulien.” Jace taunted before marching closer. “Normally, you love it when I’m a little mouthy.” He jutted his lower lip out into a mock pout. “Don’t tell me the little prep-school princess you brought home doesn’t know what a freak her favorite up-and-coming hero is.”

Callie clung to me a little tighter, and while I savored the feeling of her nails digging into my bicep, I hated how uncomfortable this must have been for her. Fuck—she probably thought I was some sort of sexual deviant. She wouldn’t have been wrong, but that wasnotthe impression I wanted to give her.

“Jace, I swear to God—” I began, keeping my voice low and dangerous. But my tone didn’t faze my asshole roommate.

“What?” he interrupted. “Before you take your clothes off, she deserves to know you’re a hero in the streets but a freak in the sheets.”

My gaze narrowed, and Jace defiantly held my gaze. After an almost-lethal staring contest, Jace raised his hands and took a few steps back.

“Fine, I’ll just go fuck Kane while you play with your pretty new toy… but you’re gonna have to make this up to me.”

He was just acting up because I couldn’t say anything with Callie right there. But one thing was for sure. The second Callie left, I was going to tie Jace up, stick a gag in his smart mouth, and lock him in my bedroom closet.

I remained in my defensive position between Callie and the rest of the house until Jace vanished into the distance.

I breathed a little easier the second Callie and I were actually alone.

“He’s gone. You’re safe— “I turned to face her. “And I’mreallysorry.”

Callie blinked up at me as she tried to process what just happened.

“...Is that normal?”

I ran a hand through my hair as I barked out a nervous laugh. If there had been a zero percent chance that Callie could read my mind, I would have told her it was all a fucked up prank, but I couldn’t risk her catching me in a lie.

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