Page 51 of Novice Girlfriend

“She deserves consequences for her actions,” Wyatt defended. “Just like the councilmen and anyone else who does anything to you. You’re giving them—I know you hate the word miracle. Quinn yelled at me for using it.”

“Derek’s right that another word is basically the same and would still make you wince because you know it means the same,” Quinn admitted. “I like the double-edged sword, but it makes me sad that you’ll get poked.”

“Me too,” Wyatt and I said together, and I just stared at him with wide eyes.

“Wow, that’s so weird to have both of you do it,” Winter mumbled.

“It’s really nice for me,” I admitted as I looked back to my food, giving a half shrug. “Not the only freak for once.” The air was tense and awkward which meant I was going to be as well. “An octopus wanted to molest Winter.”

Winter threw back his head and burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he almost fell off the glamping bed while Teddy, Quinn, and Wyatt all stared at me as if I’d grown another head.

We explained what happened and the three of them chuckled then.

“Wow, that’s really cool. I wish I got to go see the fish and sharks and hear them,” Quinn said as he nibbled on a piece of something he could eat. Wyatt had loosened his strict diet with Quinn and it had helped their relationship a lot.

“Me too, but if we get everything we want, we won’t appreciate what we have,” Wyatt said as if reminding him of something they’d discussed.

Quinn nodded. “And nothing would be fun or nice then. It would all get boring and suck.” He looked at me. “I’m glad you got to experience it though. That had to be fun for you. I know this gets hard for you.”

“Nicely done, man,” Winter muttered under his breath. “Smart way to handle it.”

Wyatt gave a half shrug. “After my own shock and greed wore off, I realized it was true and the framing we all need for this.”

But he was still amazing for having that mindset.

Link showed up looking off in a way that I hadn’t seen him since I’d done that weird running thing on him and used my magic to make myself supersonic fast. I started to stand to go talk to him but paused when Winter moved his hand to my thigh.

“What’s good, man?” Winter greeted him.

Link either didn’t notice or pretended he didn’t. “It’s not an emergency, but I’d like to speak to Bevin privately. It’s personal.”

“What kind of personal do you need to talk about with my girlfriend?”

That got a reaction from both of us, and mine was a mix of several things, but Links was sort of hostile and amused if I had to put a name to it?

He raised an eyebrow at him. “The type that if I wanted you to know, I’d tell you. We’re just going to step ten feet away within your view and I’ll put up a sound barrier if she can have your permission, caveman.”

“What is happening here?” I asked quietly, gesturing between them. Neither of them seemed like they were going to respond at first and I swallowed a sigh, not wanting to deal with any other issues.

Was it really so impossible to have one day without any kind of drama?

12

Bevin

Winter let out a long breath and then met my gaze. “He’s not wrong that I’m being a bit of a caveman.”

“But you repeatedly describe the sessions as ‘intimate,’ and even that has made me twitch given how many you’ve had with Link,” Wyatt muttered. “How far you’ve come together, and there seems to be some relationship here that doesn’t really have a name.”

“Yes, his aunt and uncle are basically my aunt and uncle since they were such good friends with my grandfather,” I explained, frowning when they both gave me looks like I was being silly. “He’s also saved my life a few times.” I glanced at Link. “Trauma bond? Or no, that’s toxic? I can’t keep it all straight.”

“We’re also friends, Bev,” he said, looking a little hurt.

I huffed. “Of course. That one was given.” I got up and kissed Winter’s cheek. “Don’t be a caveman when I haven’t done anything wrong and I’ll let you be one later.” My eyes went wide when Wyatt choked and Winter’s eyes filled with heat. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Naw, no take-backs, little sexy. I currently can’t stand up I’m so fucking turned on.”

“I didn’t need to hear that,” Link drawled. “And this is actually something serious even if not an emergency, Bev.”