She hiccups again and I can hear the tears in her voice. It guts me. “Yeah, for the last month or so.”
I glance over and Gabriel is already looking at me. I can tell Cy is paying attention to the conversation because his movements are jerky and slow as opposed to the usual grace he displays when playing. I mouth the words, “A month.”
Gabriel’s eyes slide closed, his voice hollow, simmer anger and hurt don’t mix well, “A month, Ariel? Why didn’t you say anything?”
Her voice is hesitant, and she sounds a little more sober and part of me wants to smack Gabriel for exposing his anger because it’s not like we made our intentions known. “I didn’t think it was a big deal.” She huffs, “I know we talk a lot, but I don’t have to tell anyone when I’m dating.”
My palm itches to spank her ass. We haven’t met her, but it doesn’t mean we don’t know what she looks like. With a little money and some knowhow, you can find out a lot about another person. We knew just enough to get the scoop on our girl. She’s gorgeous and she has an ass which would look damn good with my handprint on it.
“If it wasn’t a big deal then why are you drunk and sound like you’re about to cry?” Cy’s voice is a rough growl and I blink at him, surprised as fuck he’s speaking to her this way.
Cy is the quietest of us, most of his communication is body language and he’s damn good at it. If I hadn’t been friends with the man for years, I’d be intimidated as hell of him. I’m the odd man out in the group, but they never make me feel a certain way about it. I know they need me to smooth out the rough edges.
Ariel gasps and starts to sputter. I glare at Cy when I can hear the tears in her voice, “What? I mean, I just,” she takes a deep breath, and I can’t help but feel pride in our girl, “I just mean it wouldn’t be a big deal to you all. We just play online,” there’s a hint of sadness in her tone and I’m not even a little bit ashamed to admit I latch onto it.
“Ariel,” I soften my voice to make up for the two fucking lugs who are about to make this so much more difficult than it needs to be. This is our fucking chance and the fact they don’t see it makes me want to smack them. “Did you like him?”
“Yeah,” she gasps, “at least, I think so?” She lets out a little whine followed by a sniffle. “I knew the moment I met him he’d break my heart. It’s not like I was all that deep, but,” she breaks off as a sob breaks past her lips.
“Fuck,” Cy mutters and his voice softens to a tone I’ve never heard from him, “I’m sorry, Ari-baby. I shouldn’t have spoken that way to you. I just hate that you’re hurting. What are you drinking? Take another drink for me, sweetness.”
She lets out a hollow chuckle and mumbles, “Tequila. It was all I had, and I didn’t want to go back out.”
“You gonna take a shot for me, Ari?” He coaxes her and I arch an eyebrow at him. All he does is glance my way and shrug before taking out the last two players left on the other side.
“Okay Cy,” she sounds breathless and damn if even the hint of submission doesn’t go straight to my cock. From the way Gabe and Cy shift in their seats, I’m not alone.
“But what?” Gabriel still sounds like he’s spitting fire and I shake my head at him, but he doesn’t even look at me.
“Huh?”
“You said you weren’t all that deep, but…and then stopped.” Gabe prompts her, “But what?”
It’s quiet on the other end for a moment and then we hear her swallow. I can almost picture her throwing a shot back and it should not make my dick as hard as it is. There’s a wince in her voice, “But maybe I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ariel,” Gabe growls in warning.
I can almost see the way she throws her arms up and I can’t help but chuckle under my breath, hoping she doesn’t hear it. Her sweet voice has an edge of indignation, but she still answers him, “He just hurt my feelings, okay? I thought,” she pauses, “it doesn’t matter. He was just using me and while it shouldn’t, it still hurt. I’m not sure if I’m more upset about his bullshit or the fact I fell for it. At least I didn’t sleep with him,” she grumbles. I let out a sigh of relief along with Cy and Gabriel. She whispers, “I know better; he was too handsome.”
Cy scoffs and I feel the tirade swelling in him before he even opens his lips. I shake my head and hold a hand up to him. His lips thin and his eyes narrow as he looks at me, but he doesn’t say anything.
“No one is too handsome for you, Ariel,” I tell her gently. She’s gorgeous and if she doesn’t know it or see her worth, I know the three of us will have no problem showing her. Over and over again.
“Yeah, whatever,” she mumbles. “I’m going to bed. I drank too much, and I need to just go to bed.” I want to argue, I want to tell her to keep talking to us. Looking around the room at my best friends, I know they’re right there with me. Before we can say anything, a plaintive word reaches our ears, “Night.”
Then she’s gone. I groan and yank the headset off. The only reason to wear it is going to bed. I hate thinking she’s going to cry herself to sleep over some asshole who never deserved her time in the first place.
We need to talk about this. We need to come up with a plan.
“Ariel is ours,” Gabe’s voice holds nothing but steel resolve and sheer will, giving voice to my thoughts and my wildest dreams.
“Yeah,” Cy grunts.
“Now,” my mind is spinning, and I give voice to the biggest question of all because all the others will work out, they’re the minor logistics, “how do we convince her of it?”
We all slump back. We might not have the answer right now, but I know we’re going to figure it out. There’s determination on the faces of the men I consider my brothers and I know we won’t stop until our little mermaid is in our arms.