Page 64 of Gambling with Time

“I’m sure that was exactly what it was,” Lex laughed.

“Leave the demon alone, he was protecting Sammy, it is clear to see,” Rai said, gesturing between Bellamy and the empty glass.

Samantha shot him a surprised look before she let out a husky chuckle. “Rai, I think they are growing on you.”

He lifted an eyebrow and met her gaze before casting a look over the rest of us. “They aren’t that bad.”

She rewarded him with a smack of her lips against his, which quickly turned into a deeper kiss when he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and tugged her into his lap.

“I would like to go on record to say that I also do not think the others are that bad,” Bellamy joked, as he flipped another pancake.

Lex stepped up next to him and ran his hand over his back. “It just shows that we’ve all come a long way.”

We had. When I saw Lex again in the club, I knew he hated me for the things I did in our past, and Bellamy never hid his anger. There was never an expectation that either one would accept me back into their lives. It almost felt surreal, a waking dream.

Bellamy lifted his head and stared straight at me, telling me that he wasn’t blocking out random thoughts at the moment and had heard everything I just thought. He gave me a soft smile that said more than words could have that he felt the same sometimes.

In an attempt to join the teasing, I dropped my gaze to the pan and said, “Careful, that one looks almost burnt.”

“It is dark brown, not burnt, add butter and syrup and it will be perfect.” He flipped it once more before putting it on the waiting plate.

Samantha grinned as she slid the plate in front of her and lathered it with butter before smothering it in syrup. There was no way she would taste the actual pancake beneath the toppings. Popping a sticky bite into her mouth, she chewed thoughtfully.

“Mmm, just like my mom makes.”

Rai laughed. And she wiggled on his lap before taking another bite.

“Was that an insult?” Bellamy asked.

“She has burned a few pancakes in her time, but also believes butter and syrup make them taste just fine,” Raiden answered as she continued to happily eat. “Don’t worry, you are cooking better than Sammy could.”

“Hey,” she said around a mouthful of food. “I can cook, and you know it.”

He just grinned as his hands settled on her hips, tugging her snuggly against him.

“At least we won’t starve,” Lex replied. “If I’m the only one that can’t cook–”

“We’ll teach you, you’ll be our kitchen boy in no time,” Bellamy teased him.

“If Bell lets you cook that is,” I added.

“There is that,” he admitted.

* * *

The majority of the day was spent on research. Tyler had stopped by with a stack of books he had snagged from The Order, and we each were skimming through them. He had work or he would have stayed. He was pissed about being left out of the last plan, and there is no way that I’d tell him Samantha wanted it that way.

If I could make portals for one and make it go to Osiris’s underworld, Bellamy could go and find a mirror to bring the rest of us. Or I could do one at a time. The issue comes in opening the portal to the right place.

I snapped the book shut in my lap, feeling a surge of frustration and weariness coursing through me. The strain of continuous reading had taken its toll, making my eyes ache and blur from the relentless lines of text. Leaning back, I released a heavy sigh, longing for a momentary respite from the intellectual onslaught. Placing the weighty tome on the coffee table with a thud, I turned away and made my way to the kitchen, seeking solace in a simple glass of water.

As I gripped the cool glass, I couldn’t help but rub my forehead, massaging away the tension that had accumulated there. Glancing back at the others, their dedication to their books only amplified my mounting frustration. Each one of us was immersed in this endless search for answers, yet none of us had stumbled upon even a trace of the elusive solution we sought. It was frustrating.

Samantha's gaze met mine, and at that moment, an unspoken understanding passed between us. With a gentle grace, she leaned forward and carefully rested her book on top of mine. Pushing herself up from her seat, she joined me in the kitchen.

Samantha slipped her arm around my waist, drawing me closer to her in a half-embrace. The warmth of her presence enveloped me, creating a sense of safety and easing the burdens that had settled on my shoulders. In that simple gesture, a release of tension coursed through my body, as if her touch had the power to melt away the worries and uncertainties that plagued my mind.

Leaning into her, I found comfort in the connection we shared. The weight of the world seemed to diminish, if only for a fleeting moment, as her presence provided a much-needed respite from the uncertain future we faced.

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