Page 16 of Vicarious

Phae smiles slightly and says, “It’s not an easy thing moving on from you either. Despite…”

“Despite the fact that I almost killed you.”

Phae frowns at that, and I belatedly realize that it’s probably too soon for Phae not to be bothered about that and hear me casually talk about it. She’s not Dele, who just accepted the fact that I tried to kill her on two occasions as a casual fact that doesn’t need to be shied away from since the beginning and didn’t shy away from the fact that she almost killed me and still has a plan to kill me if it ever comes down to it.

Phae’s never going to be that causal about the way we both thought our relationship ended.

“Yeah,” she finally says. “That.”

“Then don’t,” I say taking the ring from her hand to inspect it. I hand it back to her. “Let’s just see where everything takes us.”

She clutches the ring in her hand before putting it back in the velvet pouch and inside the case again.

“Okay,” she agrees. “Let’s start with a date.”

“A date? Phae—”

“I know that it’s too dangerous to go anywhere or do anything since I can’t be seen in public. But you’ve got all this money and wealth. I’m sure you could set up something nice,” Phae says in a bit of a patronizing tone.

“I could…”

“Great. It’s settled. When are you free? My calendar is open for the foreseeable future.”

“Saturday,” I say.

“That long?” Phae asks with a pout. “Six whole days?”

“I’ve got to make run out of town.” Which is to say I have to go kill someone for Pray. But also not something she specifically needs to know.

She smiles. “Fine then. Saturday it is.”

She takes the chest with all her research and her wedding ring with her as she leaves the room.

8

Viper

I don’t end up seeing Dele until later that evening, and when I do find her, she and Phae are sitting in the living room on the couch watching some movie on television. Anime, apparently. Dele was obsessed with it as a teen and when she couldn’t get me to share the obsession, she shared it with Phae who became equally obsessed. Of course, that would be one of the first things the two do together. And, predictably, they both convince me to join them.

“I’ve got better things to do that watch some silly cartoons.”

They both respond exactly like I know they will.

“They are not silly cartoons,” Dele immediately says.

“And animation is a medium for entertainment not a genre,” Phae adds. “You’ve never even given it a chance. Come on. Sit with us and watch. This one is good.”

I doubt it but go to sit on the couch with them under a blanket anyway. I hesitate very briefly before choosing to sit next to Phae so that she’s sandwiched between Dele and I.

She snuggles into my side, and I am very aware that Dele’s eyes have left the television screen to look our way.

“What is this?” I ask blandly.

“It’s a high school, slice of life, enemies to lovers romance,” Phae replied.

“And you expect me to take this seriously?”

“As seriously as you take those romcom movies you like so much,” Phae says without missing a beat.

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