Oh boy.
“Are you coming to hang out with us?” she asks, hope pouring from every word.
“Hell yeah. What colour do you wanna paint my nails?”
She giggles, and Alex winks at me.
Jesus. Because his head needed to be any bigger.
They both head to the living room, Alex snatching back the bag of food.
“So what chick flick is first up?”
“Ugh, chick flick?” Rhea groans, making me laugh. “We usually watch something a little more… grown up than that.”
“Oh, like what?” Alex asks as they disappear around the corner.
By the time I’ve gathered plates and got us all drinks, the two of them are deep in conversation about the latest Fast and the Furious film. Alex is relaxed with his feet kicked up on the coffee table, while Rhea sits cross-legged facing him, soaking up every word that falls from his mouth.
“Get it out then, Deimos,” I say—meaning the dinner—and instantly regretting my words.
“Callista, there are kids in the room,” Alex says with an amused smirk.
“I’m not a kid,” Rhea sulks. “I’m almost fifteen. And I know exactly what you guys were all doing at fifteen.” She raises a brow at Alex, looking sassy as hell.
Theo is gonna bust a nut keeping this one in check over the next few years. They think they’ve had a hard time with me, but they’re gonna have to step up their game.
“Fair play,” Alex mutters. “But I gotta warn you, growing up too quick ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Better to stay sweet and innocent as long as possible. Ain’t that right, baby C?”
“I’m not getting involved,” I mutter, lowering the plates to the coffee table.
The allure of food is enough to drag Rhea off the sofa. She drops to her knees beside me and quickly reaches for her favourite dish, piling it onto her plate.
Alex catches my eye over her head.
‘She’s cute,’ he mouths.
‘Behave,’ I warn silently, making a knee-weakening smile spread across his lips.
Jesus Christ. Rhea’s going to get her heart broken.
“You not eating, Alex?” she asks, sitting cross-legged on the floor while some shoot ’em up plays on the TV. Something I suspect she chose to impress our guest.
“You guys didn’t order for me.”
My brows shoot up. Alex never ever turns down food. He really is trying to be a gentleman tonight.
“There’s plenty. Get down here,” I say, unable to bear him watching us eat when I know he’s dying for some.
We sit on the floor stuffing our faces until my arse hurts and I can no longer feel my legs. I have no idea what the film is about—we’re too busy laughing and joking about life and school. And Alex seems to be playing some kind of game to see how quickly he can make Rhea blush, something he’s earned more than a few jabs in the ribs for.
But it’s fun, and it’s allowed me to laugh in a way I didn’t realise I was so desperate for.
“I need to pee,” I say as I come down from the high of another laughing fit.
I’ve got tears in my eyes and my stomach muscles hurt, but it’s so good.
I’m barely able to control my legs as I stand to full height and crash into Alex, using his shoulder for support as I wait for the feeling to come back to my legs.