“Stop acting like a pansy assed douche. Try being nice to her instead of growling at her all the time. You clearly like her, so what’s the problem?” Seth asks the moment she disappears into his room.
“She’s human. Besides, she seems to like you two more. No chick has ever liked you two more.” I’m moaning like a little bitch. I know it. They know it, but thankfully they choose to ignore that.
Or not.
After a few seconds, Ty laughs at me, clutching his stomach and actually laughs, "Maybe if you weren't trying to impress her with the Prince Douche act, she might like you more."
“We should start calling you Prince D.” Seth adds.
"Seriously? I was trying to be funny. Chicks dig the fairy tales. Besides, it's not my fault it’s the only fairy tale I know, you're the dickhead who always made Mum read that one to us when we were kids." I thump Ty in the chest, making him grunt. “You and your stupid obsession with Sleeping Beauty. It’s your fault. If anyone is the pansy assed douche here, it’syou.”
“You stole a kiss from her by using a fairy tale as an excuse. Prince D-.”
There’s a thump from the bedroom that has all three of us running. I reach the doorway first but just stand there, utterly confused. Angel is lying on the floor, her foot tangled in the sheet, a sock on her head and a shoe in front of her face. The laugh threatens to emerge but my brother’s words from earlier stop it from passing my lips.
“Do you need a hand?” The laughter shines through in my voice, but I lean down towards her anyway, keeping my face blank.
“Not from you.” She grunts, sitting up and unwrapping the sheet from around her foot.
“You seem to be missing a shoe.” I point out as she pulls the sock off her hair.
“Oh great, more ammunition for your pathetic seduction attempts. I’m not Cinderella. I’m not Sleeping Beauty nor any of the million other fairy tale princesses that need help from a-hole princes with nothing better to do than annoy unsuspecting young women.”
My head rears back for the second time this morning. I have no idea what she’s talking about right now, but both Seth and Ty are snickering behind me.
“Explain.” I growl at the two hyenas.
“She thinks you’re trying to make a reference to Cinderella, the fairy tale where the princess loses the glass slipper and the prince hunts all over the kingdom to find the one it fits.” Seth informs me.
“That doesn’t make any sense. Plenty of people have the same sized foot, and if he knew what she looked like then why would he need the slipper?” I ask, turning to face my brothers.
“Oh my god, that’s what I told Eric when he told me that story was his favourite.” Angel says, grabbing my arm.
Heat forms under my flesh where she’s touching me and all thoughts and words fly out of my head. My mouth opens then closes like a fish out of water. Her lips are moving but I can’t hear a word she’s saying. All I can hear is the blood pounding through my body. I turn my body, angling it slightly away so my hard on isn’t obvious.
“If you want him to hear a word you’re saying, you might want to let go of his arm and maybe not mention your boyfriend in front of him.” Seth’s words penetrate my brain enough to make me snap out of my daze.
Although, not as fast as her next words, “What exactly is your problem with Eric? And for the millionth time, he’s not my boyfriend, we’re just friends.”
“We should go.” I say, clasping her hand to my arm so she can’t pull away, making everyone stare at me again. I need to change the subject or I am going to start listing all the reasons that idiot isn’t good enough for her. One of those reasons, okay the main reason, is because he’s notme. I know I shouldn’t want her. I know I shouldn’t even be thinking about her, but she’s become my obsession. In the literal two weeks I’ve known her for, she’s consumed my every thought. Well technically I’ve only known her a day, but we met two weeks ago at the choosing ceremony, that counts right?
She pulls her hand free and I feel its loss like a physical blow to the gut. I want to snatch it back, hold it like Seth did earlier, but she glares at me.
“Great, now I’m over forty minutes late. If you three don’t figure a way out of this mess for me, I’m going to be very angry with you all,” She says, as Seth passes her the other shoe, which for some reason was over by the bathroom door. She sits down on the bed and I watch her movements as she puts the shoes on. For half a second I’m tempted to offer to do it for her.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
“Gods, I’m going to be in so much trouble.” She groans.
“We’ll fix it. I promise.” I’m not sure why, but she nods like she trusts my word. It makes me feel like puffing my chest out, or poking my tongue out at my brothers.
Shaking my head at my own thoughts, I grab her hand and lift her to her feet. “Come on, let’s get you to the arena, so you can be given your first assignment.”
The moment we’re out the door, she lets go of my hand like it’s burnt her. I feel the loss like it’s a physical thing and have to really focus on where we’re going, so I don’t force her to give me back the warmth that comes from her touch.
This is our second year here, so we know the drill for the assignment process. Even with her being late, she’ll only have missed out on the stupid speech Ares gives every damned year. It’s the same one, word for word, and I swear half the humans fall asleep in their chairs before he’s half way through it.
“I bet we’ll arrive just as Ares is explaining the rules.” Ty laughs moving to Angel’s other side.Hedoesn’t hesitate, he slips his hand into hers and just keeps walking like it’s no big deal.