“I’m gonna go,” he said to me.
“So soon?” Theo asked. He dripped innocence. I was going to throat punch him.
“Yeah. Shock eh.” Jay ground out as he walked passed him to get his coat from the lounge.
“You’re a dick,” I whispered to Theo.
“You love me.”
I growled at him. He laughed. Jay popped his head in.
“Tomorrow darling. Leave the goons behind this time,” he said with a wink, then he was gone.
“What’s tomorrow?” Matt asked.
I’d had enough.
“What are you doing? What the hell was that?” I demanded.
“You’ve got really bad taste in men. We’re here to help you,” Theo explained.
I was dumbfounded. “What?”
“Yeah you pick really dodgy guys. We’re going to teach you how to pick winners.”
“Like you?” My tone was scathing.
“Good God no, we’re the biggest players you’ll ever meet. We mean the opposite of us. Nice guys. We blame ourselves for leading you astray,” Theo looked at Matt and they high fived.
“Get out of my apartment before I kill you both,” I growled at them.
Matt laughed and tackled me over his shoulder and carried me to the lounge.
“Chill out Bit. It’s Friday. You’re with your family. Let’s watch a movie,” he plonked me on the couch. My heart clenched atfamily.
Theo dropped beside me. He slung his arm over my shoulder, I wiggled out of it. He pulled me back.
“Hey Ari, can you make us some of those pizzas in the freezer? I’m starving.”
Yeah, I was definitely going to kill them.
Despite the way it started, Friday nightwasfun. We watched a silly action movie that had bad acting and mediocre stunts. I wasn’t sure it was supposed to be funny, but I found it hilarious. I eventually thawed to their teasing and their nonsense.
They just bowled me over with their incorrigibleness. I don’t know whether I forgave them, or they just wore me down to the point where I didn’t care anymore.
Did this make me weak? I didn’t think so. They were my family. You forgave family. If I could throw them under the bus to their parents – and have them still be here in my life – then they could throw their weight around with Jay. I guess we were even.
An image of Colton flashed into my head and I reached for my phone. Theo was sprawled over my couch watching the news, while Matt was making tea for us all. Look at us, the happy little family.
I read the messages from Colton from earlier. A smile played round my lips. I tugged my hair. Should I text him? No.Why?Because he isn’t yours!
Huh. There was that. I could hear my mums’ words again in my head as I contemplated my phone, pushing her out of my head I decided to text.
Me:They didn’t leave.
Three dots popped up. I waited.
Cole:I figured.