He looked ready to strangle me, but I didn’t care.
“On top of everything, he went and sidelined me, just brushed me off. Me. I’m on the sidelines.”
“I can see that, which is why you are in front of my bed and not on your way with him. But maybe you haven’t noticed, I’m also not with him. I’m in bed, eating Jell-O because I have been sidelined, too. I can’t have a pity party for myself and you at the same time, Sedric.”
He paused, finally noticing. He frowned. “You’re not really sidelined, though.”
“Bed. Jell-O. You.” I pointed to each thing. “This looks like a real fucking sideline to me.”
He rolled his eyes, sitting on the end of my bed, “The difference is you’re hurt. You nearly died, and before you nearly died, you were out there fighting for our family and making people piss shit scared of you!”
I paused and took another bite before nodding. “This is true, carry on.” Though Calliope’s insults from days ago still haunted my mind and ruined that moment for me.
“If it weren’t for your being injured, you’d be right next to Ethan. I, on the other hand, got shafted for defending my sister against that…woman.”
“Ethan’s woman.”
“Yes, that one.” He rolled his eyes again. “Excuse me if I don’t shake at the title of Ethan’s woman. They don’t tend to last long around here.”
“Well, technically, she’s the longest-lasting one with a kid, too.”
He scoffed. “You mean the one that just got here?”
“Yeah, cute little girl with a green eye and a brown eye,” I replied, eating again.
“Again, she shot my sister and kicked her out of the house! Our house! Are you not getting that part?”
Oh, I was getting it. Unfortunately, I was getting it very clearly. Something was off, but I couldn’t say that to him. It would only add fuel to his fire, and Ethan might shoot him next. I wanted him to back off this.
“Wife trumps cousin,” I said, hoping to take most of the fight out of him.
“Now you sound like Ethan!” he hollered. “They aren’t even married yet!”
“Yes, they are, check the family register,” I said, and he paused.
He didn’t even need to check because I wouldn’t lie to him about something like this.
I snickered and pointed to his face. “I had the same look on my face, too.”
“When did this happen?”
“I have no idea. God knows how Ethan does half of the shit he does. But this is our reality now. Even if it weren’t true, Ethan isn’t going to let anyone insult his daughter in any way.” It was such a weird sentence to say. Ethan was a father. Like, he had a tiny little human that called him Dad? So fucking weird. He did not seem old enough to be a parent. But then again, I didn’t think anyone was old enough to be a parent.
“Wyatt, I’m so lost.”
“Yep, as you can see, this is not your room.”
“Wyatt!”
“What do you want me to say, Sedric? I do not like this role. I feel old and unlike myself. I’m having to lecture you. I am not a fucking lecturer. Save that shit for your dad because I’m tired of listening to you bitch, especially about something you can’t do anything about.” Wasn’t I supposed to be the fucking fun one? I used to always be able to find something fun in every situation. Now, I was out of my depth here, too. I felt like I’d aged twenty goddamn fucking years.
“Why?”
“Why? Really? Are you not hearing me?” I asked him, and he just stared back at me. “Fine, go ahead. I’d love to see what happens when you try to go against the woman who may or may not be an assassin with expertise in poison and military combat, who also has Ethan conceding to her…so much so that she can shoot family and he will stand at her side. Good luck, and while you are here, what kind of flowers should I put on your grave?”
“Shit…I forgot about all of that,” he muttered, pausing, and I wished I had something hard to throw at his damn head. “Why the fuck are you acting like this?”
“How else should I be acting?”