Page 19 of Our Deceptive Heat

“Got to go. Stay safe. I’ll be home soon,” I say in a rush and hang up the phone. I set it to silent and ignore her calls.

I whirl away from the bathroom, refusing to look in the mirror. I don’t want to see the desperation in my eyes.

I square my shoulders and walk back out. I can do this. At the edge of the hallway, I pause, taking them all in. A year hasn’t changed them much. They look slightly older, wiser. Digs’ hair is a little longer. Tyr’s wearing more of those chunky silver rings. Mako is a little less stressed, and Envy, well, he’s Envy.

They are so touchy with each other. Even now, Mako is running his fingers through Envy’s hair, and Tyr has Digs’ hand on his thigh and is running his thumb over it.

I don’t move, taking in this moment and committing it to memory. They are so beautiful.

I take a breath andlet it out, walking into the open space and reclaiming my spot on the single armchair.

Safe here.

“Shall we begin?”

“Just waiting on you, fish,” Mako says with a wink.

Damn, I hate that I don’t hate that nickname. I remember the stupid day he gave it to me. We were fighting over guitar chords, and I called him a shark. He stopped, smiled wide, and said if he was a shark, then I was a cute little fish who was swimming too deep.

It was funny but vaguely threatening and so much more arousing than if he’d told me to strip naked. All our conversations were flirty, teasing, and confusing.

I pull out a pen and start clicking it. “You want to write a song about a friendship ending. So, let’s go, they are the best of friends, and then something happens, and they have a misunderstanding-”

“One of them ghosts the other,” Tyr throws out and stands up and starts pacing.

He’s not as tall as the others, but he’s got an aura that you can’t look away from. He’s the right choice as the lead singer for Fate’s Choice. But I’d like to slap his beautiful face sometimes, like now.

“Fine. One of them ghosts the other,” I grit out, sending a glower in his direction.

“I can’t do this!” Envy says so quietly I think I’m the only one who hears it.

My heart bolts in my chest even as the crushing slash of pain makes me curl up even tighter. I keep my eyes on my notebook and hunch over, shrinking into myself.

“You don’t have to, Envy. We’ve got this,” I say quietly. Giving him the out they won’t give me.

He finally looks at me. Those beautiful pale green eyes seeing all of me in the two seconds that he glances my way. But he looks away. Like always.

I swallow hard and look down at my notepad, dismissing him from my mind.

It’s impossible.

Mako makes a warning sound, and I realise I’ve completely missed whatever Digs has just said.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

Four pairs of eyes fall on me, and Digs finally exhales moodily.

“Send the beta home.”

I flinch and slowly close my notepad. “I can work from home.”

“Sit down!” Tyr barks.

My legs collapse under me. I seethe, furious at the inability to fight his growl. I hate alpha barks.

“Uncalled for!” Mako grumbles.

Tyr’s phone rings in the silence.

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