Page 67 of Tyton: The Spider and the Dragonfly
Talia shook her head in disbelief.“Why is Sesi the one sending this then?”
“I kinda panicked and texted Sparx.He said he’d take care of it.I guess he told Sesi.”Callie hoped that would work.
“Sparx decided the best course of action was to call a gang leader?For a mattress?”Talia raised an eyebrow.“Yeah, that does seem like something he would do,” she muttered, sliding the mattress across the floor.
Callie was a better liar than she thought.She stood back and watched Talia pull the old mattress off the frame and shove it out the door.Callie made to grab the new one, but Talia pushed her away.
“Hell, no.I’m doing that for you.”
Callie felt a small corner of her mouth turn upward.She needed to do something about Talia at some point, but a spark of glee at being taken care of ignited low in her belly.Her feeling of guilt returned.Was she using Talia?No, this was just a mattress.Shefelt the urge to pick at her fingernails again, but she shoved her hands in her pockets before Talia noticed.
When Talia finished, she turned and pulled Callie by her overall straps into a possessive kiss.“Tell yourvibratorthat your other girl is an Adlet and will kick her arse.”
Callie had no reply to that.Her brain raced but came up with nothing.
Talia laughed.“I’m teasing.I promised no murder.”
Callie realised her mouth had been hanging open.She closed it, but her brain still couldn’t come up with any way to respond.Maybe everything would be okay?Maybe Talia wasn’t as possessive as she thought?But now she was being so nice and Callie had no idea what to do.What would she do when she found out theother girlwas Sesi.But Sesi said she’d handle it?Fuck.She was spiralling again.
“By the way,” Talia reached into her pocket.“Sesi told me to give you this.Looks like you’re one of ours now.”
“What is it?”Callie took the unassuming black chip card.
“Hold it up to your Opti,” Talia grinned.
Callie did as she was told and her Opti downloaded an encryption key.Access Grantedflashed and then…nothing.
“What just happened?”Callie asked.
“That’ll get you in the club by yourself.I’ll be there tonight, if you want to test it out.”
Callie’s heart fluttered at the thought.“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
Talia grinned but there was something else on her face.Like she knew something and wasn’t letting on.She clapped her mask back on before Callie could examine her further.“I’ll see you tonight at the club.”Callie flapped her arms and let them fall against her legs.“I guess I’m going to the club tonight,” she said to the new mattress.
“You did what?”
“Sesi came over and we had sex.”Callie’s hands remained firmly jammed in her pockets.
“Yes, that’s the problem.Talia has a thing with Sesi.”Sparx ran both hands through his hair.
“I know they dated, but that was so long ago.But on the other hand, it’s like, when they talk about each other, they’re still in love.”
“What?Then why?Why would she do that?”Sparx’s facecontorted.
“I don’t know!Why do you think I called you here?”
“I thought you didn’t do poly.”
“No, I don’t domen.And this isn’t even poly.It’s a fucking love triangle now.”
“Was it fun at least?”Sparx waggled his eyebrows lewdly.
“Ew, gross, Sparx!”Callie gave in and bit her fingernail.After a few moments of not saying anything, Callie flopped backward onto the bed with a whine.“God, you’re annoying.I needed a new mattress.Of course it was fun.”
“Well fuck.”Even he knew that was shit.“Look, Miss my-first-menage-à-trois, this is only going to end badly, no matter what anyone says.You havefunwith scene friends.You don’t have fun with two Adlets who used to date and have some weird thing going on that none of us really understand.”
“So, what do I do?”Callie whined.
