I stared at Aurora’s text while ra traced circles on my thigh and Cheon leaned against the window watching the city pass.
I saw your fight. You were incredible.
Can we talk?
My thumb hovered over the keyboard. This felt like a trap. Not a malicious one. Just the kind where good intentions t terrible timing and created explosions nobody saw coming.
I typed back.
what’s up? if you want to talk here’s my address
Sent the building information. Waited three seconds.
cheon and ra will be celebrating tonight so tomorrow would be better
Hit send again.
Watched the dots appear. Disappear. Appear again.
Aurora was thinking hard about sothing.
Finally her response ca through.
oh... why your ho?
I blinked at the screen. Read it twice. Still didn’t understand the question.
Why my ho? Because that’s where I lived. Where else would we talk. A classroom? The library? So romantic spot by the water where the sunset made everything more complicated than it needed to be?
No thanks.
My place ant control. ant I could set boundaries if things went sideways. ant ra and Cheon were there as backup if Aurora decided she wanted to report for whatever the drain had done to her.
I typed back.
i’m not planning on leaving my apartnt this weekend i want to relax
True enough. My body hurt everywhere. My ribs felt like soone had used them for batting practice. My eyes burned from Gravity Jail overuse. And I had two girlfriends who deserved attention after watching nearly die in a glorified cage match.
Leaving the apartnt sounded terrible.
The dots appeared again. Stayed there longer this ti.
ra noticed staring at my phone. "Who’s texting?"
"Aurora."
"The pretty one with the finger lasers?"
"Nail beams. But yeah."
"What does she want?"
"To talk."
Cheon’s eyes opened. She’d been pretending to rest but obviously listening. "About what?"
"Probably the thing where my drain opened when I held her hand yesterday."
"You should tell her."
"I know."
"Do you though? Because your track record with honesty is questionable at best."
"Says the girl who spent two days analyzing my Essentia signature before cornering ."
Her cheek flushed pink. "That was research."
"Sure it was Panda."
ra laughed. Kissed my neck right over one of the bite marks she’d left. "I like when you two fight. It’s sexy."
"Everything is sexy to you."
"Not true. Paperwork isn’t sexy. Neither is Nolan’s lecture about proper warmup stretches."
"Fair points."
My phone buzzed again.
okay. tomorrow afternoon?
i can bring coffee
I showed Cheon the screen. "She’s offering coffee."
"That ans she’s nervous."
"How do you figure?"
"Because bringing sothing gives you purpose. Makes the visit transactional instead of personal. It’s what people do when they’re scared."
ra peered over my shoulder. "Or she’s just being polite."
"Nobody is just polite. Everyone has an agenda."
"Your worldview is depressing Panda."
"It’s realistic."
I typed back to Aurora.
sure. 2pm works. bring whatever
address is attached
Sent it. Locked my phone. Tried not to think about tomorrow’s ss.
Marco pulled up to my building. The security guard nodded as we walked through the lobby. Sa guy as always. Sa professional discretion about showing up with two girls instead of one.
The elevator ride up was quiet. ra’s tail wrapped around my leg. Cheon held my hand. Both of them tired from their own matches earlier.
Team One had won their fight too. Cheon ntioned it briefly during the car ride. Sothing about Nolan absorbing three consecutive attacks and releasing all the kinetic energy at once to blow through a wall.
Sounded impressive.
Also sounded exactly like sothing Nolan would do.
We got to my apartnt. I unlocked the door. Stepped inside.
Everything looked the sa as this morning. Except now it felt different. More lived in. More like three people existed here instead of one.
ra’s red jacket hung by the door. Cheon’s perfectly organized shoes lined up underneath it. Their stuff scattered across the bathroom counter and dresser drawers.
My space wasn’t just mine anymore.
Weird how fast that happened.
"Food first," ra announced. She walked straight to the kitchen and started pulling out takeout nus. "What are we feeling? Thai? Italian? That burger place that makes everything too greasy?"
"Pizza," I said.
"Boring."
"You asked what I wanted."
"I expected better taste."
Cheon sat on the couch. Removed her shoes with careful movents. "Pizza is fine. Get the one with vegetables."
ra made a face like Cheon had suggested eating cardboard. "Vegetables on pizza is a cri."
"So is eating nothing but cheese and grease."
"You’re both wrong," I said. "Half and half. Problem solved."
They looked at each other. Then at . Then back at each other.
"I can work with that," ra said.
"Acceptable compromise," Cheon agreed.
I ordered on my phone. Large half veggie half at. Breadsticks because ra would complain if I didn’t. Soda because my fridge only had water and beer.
Delivery said forty minutes.
Forty minutes was enough ti for trouble.
ra sprawled across the couch. Patted her lap. "Co here."
"I’m injured."
"Then I’ll be gentle."
"You don’t do gentle."
"First ti for everything."
Cheon stood up. Walked to the bedroom. "I’m showering first. Ro can shower after . Then ra."
"Why do I go last?"
"Because you take forever and use all the hot water."
"That’s fair actually."
Cheon disappeared into the bathroom. Water started running a minute later.
I sat down next to ra. She imdiately climbed into my lap despite my ribs screaming in protest.
"Careful."
"I am being careful." She kissed my jaw. Then my neck. Then my mouth. Slow and sweet. Nothing demanding about it.
Her Essentia tasted like cinnamon. Always did. Warm and sharp and addictive.
The drain opened between us. Just a trickle. Not the flood from last night.
She pulled back. Yellow eyes bright. "You’re holding back."
"Because my ribs are broken."
"The dic said fractured."
"Sa thing."
"Not really."
She kissed again. Deeper this ti. Her tongue traced my lower lip before slipping inside.
I grabbed her hips. Held her still before she could start grinding. "We’re waiting for food."
"So?"
"So I don’t want the delivery guy seeing you naked."
"Who says I’d be naked?"
"You. Always you."
She grinned. Bit my lower lip hard enough to sting. "You know too well."
"Sobody has to."
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