Page 48 of Defend Me

Sen’s eyes were locked on me and Tilian. More specifically, he was staring at our interlocked hands.

“Are you guys…”

“No,” Tilian replied immediately.

“Just friends,” I added coolly. “I’ve seen West kiss Kai, so let’s be chill.”

Sen held up his hands. “Not being weird about it. Just clarifying. You’re always a mystery.”

“People keep saying that.”

“Well, if the shoe fits,” Tilian chimed in.

“Okay. Are we throwing these fucking axes or what?”

The smile that lit up Kai’s face was a little maniacal. I had a feeling that he’d be an expert at this. Sure enough, when he threw his first one, it was just inches from the bullseye.

Sen shot me a look, probably thinking the same thing as me. He hit the target too, though. Not as close as Kai, but he was significantly better at this than he was at ice skating. I’d gone with them once just before winter break and while West and Brooks were putting on an Olympic show, poor Sen was barely staying on his feet.

Tilian weighed the ax in his hand for a few seconds, then shrugged and sent it flying. He hit the edge of the target and smiled. I brushed the back of his neck with my fingers before I took my turn. When it sunk into the middle, I winked at Kai.

Had I already been here a few times? Obviously. It was cathartic. Next on my list was a rage room, but I hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

“I’ll be right back,” I announced.

Tilian watched me for a second, but Sen started talking to him. They looked like they were getting comfortable with each other, which I was glad for.

Stopping at the bar, I offered the guy a smile. “Can I get a beer?”

He eyed me up and down. “ID.”

I slid it across the counter. He barely glanced at it before he started filling a glass.

“Hey, I have a question. If I wanted three more of those, would you question it?”

He set the beer on the counter and scowled. “For your friends over there, I assume. If they’ve got ID, they can have whatever they want.”

“But, like…” I leaned closer. “How much to make you say that you saw their IDs?”

“What?”

Rolling my eyes, I pulled out a few hundreds. “Cool?”

He considered it with his lip between his teeth. I added another hundred, then pushed it toward him.

“Same for a tip too.”

“Fuck,” he growled. “Fine, but if anyone starts acting crazy, I’m kicking you all out.”

“Deal.”

Carefully, I balanced the four glasses as I made my way back to our stall. Tilian was throwing the ax when I got there. I set the drinks on a tall table, then shook out my hands.

“How the fuck did you manage that?” Kai asked. He was already grabbing one of them.

“I’m a god. Maxed out my speech skill, you know.”

“More like you have money,” Sen chortled. “Thanks, though. Obviously, we’re extremely appreciative and consider you one of our closest friends.”

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