Page 211 of Crucible
“Because of Aurelia?”
He tilts his head at me like I should know better. “Because you’re my brother.”
“Thanks. I guess you’re marginally more tolerable, too.”
Khalil cuts his gaze at me. “Man, fuck you.” We snicker at that, and then Khalil says, “It almost feels weird admitting this, even after the last couple of months, but I’m going to miss you, man.”
I frown at that despite feeling funny in my chest when I hear him admit it. “You don’t have to lie.”
There’s sadness in Khalil’s eyes now, but he holds my gaze when he speaks again. “Despite what you think, Thorin and I care about you, Seth. We always have, but you wouldn’t let us in. After a while, we realized trying would not only get us killed, it pushed you further away, so we backed off, but we never stopped hoping you’d come around and warm up to us.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah…oh.”
“Full disclosure…if it wasn’t for Sunshine, I probably wouldn’t have.” I shrug.
Khalil smiles a little and claps me on the back. “I’m well aware, Seth.”
The front door opens, and Aurelia saunters out, bearing two cold beers and a bright smile for us. “What are my favorite boys talking about?”
“I heard that!” Thorin snaps from inside.
“You,” Khalil and I answer at the same time.
Cleaning out Zeke’s bedroom, and I guess mine too, turned into spring cleaning the entire cabin. It’s early evening by the time the four of us collapse into an exhausted heap in the living room.
“Oh, God. I still have to make dinner,” Aurelia groans from where she’s sprawled on top of Bruce.
“I can make it,” I offer.
Sunshine perks up at that, and I cock my head at the surprise in her eyes. “You can cook?”
“No, but neither can you, and you manage.” I don’t realize what I’ve said until Khalil chokes on the water he’s drinking, and Aurelia shoots up into a sitting position with a gasp and wide eyes. Her lips tremble, and I have a feeling if she were capable of crying, she would be. “Ah, shit.”
“Yes!” Thorin cheers because he’ll no longer be in the dog house alone after this.
I rub my brow while Aurelia stands before I can find the words to un-fuck myself.
“You know what? Make your own damn dinner. I’m going to take a nap. Donotfollow me.” She storms into Thorin’s room and slams and locks the bedroom door.
“But that’s my room!”
“And?” she shouts back.
“Is it me, or is she crankier than usual?” Thorin’s grin spreads when he looks at Khalil and me. “You think it’s the baby? It’s definitely mine if it is.”
Ignoring him, I grumble as I stand and head into the kitchen to start dinner.
It can’t be that hard, can it?
As it turns out, cooking is kind of…therapeutic.
I have no idea what I’m doing, but I like it. I’m too busy focusing on manipulating ingredients into an edible meal to think about Zeke or death squads or Isaac or the fact that Aurelia is mad at me. Before long, I’m being overrun by hungry assholes.
I stand back as Thorin and Khalil pile their plates with the chicken fajitas. Neither of them move from their spots before digging in.
“Well?” I ask once Thorin eats his first fajitas in three bites and immediately starts in on the second. The only time I’ve seen him eat Aurelia’s food that fast is when he’s trying to shovel it all down without tasting it, so I have no idea what to think.
