Page 59 of The Fallen Ones

Out of nowhere Caleb appeared and dropped down onto the seat beside me.

“About time, Watts. What took you so long?” Damien asked, clearly trying to reignite their earlier bickering.

I shook my head and addressed Damien. “Like you’re one to talk. You were both late.” I knew I needed to defend Caleb and keep the tension low between the two of them. Plus, I was already worried Caleb was having second thoughts. Keeping the peace was important because the last damn thing we needed was Caleb bailing and telling Lily.

I’d hate to kill him.

The thought should have frightened me, but I knew how much she meant to me and exactly what I was willing to do to keep her as mine. Or in this case, ours.

“You’re lucky I turned up at all,” Caleb answered, glaring at Damien.

He was clearly still pissed at him.

“You want Lily again just as much as the two of us. Stop fucking lying to yourself.” Damien huffed.

“I could walk out of here and have Lily to myself if I wanted.” Caleb’s reply sent a wave of anger surging through me, but I remained calm.

“Like fuck you could. We made an agreement.” Damien answered for the both of us.

“Here’s your pizza guys. Enjoy.” The waiter interrupted and slid the pizza onto the table.

Damien and Caleb engaged in another stare down before I sighed.

“Enough. I think we can all safely say we want her. Would I be going out on a limb here if I said we’d like to keep her? For all of us?” The words were bitter on my tongue, but I’d take her however I could have her, even if it meant with these two pricks.

Caleb’s leg bounced as he stared down at his clasped hands on the table.

He cleared his throat. “How? She’d know how fucked we are. Pretty sure she might be horrified to learn it was us and we’d trick her. Think she’d want to stick around for that?” He shook his head and blew out a breath.

“You’re right.” I frowned, hating that he was. I knew Lily. She’d be pissed.

“So what do we do if we want to make it more permanent?” Caleb looked over at me. “And can we make it permanent? We can barely stand each other now. Imagine sharing her for-forever? Because I don’t want anyone else but her. Are you guys willing to do this for the long game?”

I glanced to Damien. He pulled a slice of pizza off the pan before he looked to Caleb.

“Want to share?” He winked at Caleb as he devoured an entire slice of pizza.

Caleb gave him the finger.

“I thought you two were cool and it was me and Damien who had issues. Fuck me.” I expressed my annoyance at the pair of them. “We all enjoyed Halloween, right?” I looked back and forth across the table as they both sat growling at one another. “We need to figure this shit out. She wants more. I know I do. I’m willing to let things go as long as we agree she’s ours. We can figure out a way to make it a permanent thing.”

“Yeah, she was a sweet ride,” Damien replied and then demolished another slice.

“Why do you have to talk about her like that? She wasn’t just a sweet ride.She’s Lily.I thought you actually gave a shit abouther. I was hoping that night meant something to you. This was a fucking mistake.” Caleb gave Damien a disgusted look and made to push his way out of the booth.

Damien and his big fucking mouth.

I grabbed hold of Caleb’s arm and stopped him from leaving. “We do care about her. You know that. All of us."

“Doesn’t seem likehedoes.” He nodded toward Damien.

“I don’t do feelings. But, yes. She matters,” Damien finally gave Caleb what he wanted to hear.

“What happened with Jenna?” Caleb demanded. He clearly didn’t trust Damien even after he had kept our night with Lily secret.

“Sit, man. Let’s talk this out,” I said, gesturing for Caleb to take his seat again. He did, his glare still fixed on Damien as he waited for an answer.

“If you’d have listened earlier you’d know.” Damien grinned, which only added to the building tension between the three of us.

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