Page 55 of Knot What She Seems
“Oh, yes it fucking is,” he counters, looking better today than he did a week ago. He’s dressed in something more than pajamas today—though the baggy sweatshirt and loose sweatpants are nothing like the finery he used to wear before he got sick. And he’s got more color in his cheeks, and his hair isn’t limp, which may actually be from a product but whatever. I’m counting it.
“Caran!” I whine, throwing my head back against the seat I’m in and repeatedly banging it. “Make him stop. Make it all stop.”
Unfortunately, my brother’s omega gives me a helpless shrug from where he stands next to the kitchen table, one hip leaning against it. “Sorry, hon. There’s no outrunning a scent match. Trust me, I tried.”
My brother’s head immediately whips sideways to glare at him with narrowed eyes. “You did not.”
Caran gives a cheeky little shrug as he stirs his olive around in his martini. “Well, I pretended to.”
A smirk crosses my brother’s face, and I have absolutely zero doubt the two of them are remembering something naughty.
I level them both with my best glare. “First off. Gross. No sexy shit in front of me. And second off, where ismy sympathy? Mom is freaking selling me off to some goons. Meanwhile, I’m scent matched to crazy-pants wears-a-mask and his squad.”
Caran gives a loud groan. “You’re right. It’ssomuch drama.” He turns to my brother. “God, I wish we were in school again just so I could watch it all play out.”
My nails dig into his chair, leaving scratch marks behind on the leather, but I don’t even care. I kind of hope the crescent-shaped marks will be permanent. Caran and Teddie received this particular armchair from Caran’s brother—a beta I still have yet to meet—and seem to hold it in high regard.
Of course, my brother picks up on my fury and only piles on further. He arches a brow and leans toward me. “Wanna wear a camera for us? I’m sure Car has one lying around.”
Shoving myself up out of my seat, I huff at the two of them as I stomp toward the door. So much for family loyalty. Annoyed anger colors my tone as I yank open the door to the hallway and call back over my shoulder. “You better have those recipes and battle plan assignments ready for me tomorrow.”
Caran simply gives me a finger wave. Teddie, however, lifts his phone and snaps a picture of my pissed off expression as I flip him off.
“I mean it. Not doing this freaking homework alone,” I growl.
“See you tomorrow, honey,” Caran says before he takes a sip of his drink. “Bring us back all the tea.”
“Enjoy all the balls—I mean the ball!” Ted yells, like the dick of a sibling he is.
Slamming the door behind me, I stifle a scream as I fist my hands against my thighs. But then I hear someone walking on the stairs, and I’m forced to compose myself before I’m ready. Breathing deeply, I try to morph my expression to become as placid as a lake on a summer’s day.
Luckily, whoever is on the stairs doesn’t exit on this landing, because I’m pretty certain my face is short-circuiting like a malfunctioning robot right now.
Harper. I’m going to have to hide behind Harper at this ball and beg her forgiveness afterward.
Licking my lips nervously, I glance at my phone and realize that I have to hurry in order to make the hair and makeup appointments my mother scheduled for me.
I sigh as I press the number to call my roommate and then head downstairs. When she picks up, her voice is cheery and bright, completely unprepared for what I’m about to ask.
“Hey! I just finished getting my hair done at the salon. You want to do last minute touch-ups together?”
“Harper, I need a favor,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Sure! Need me to pick up some nail polish? I saw you had chipped a nail?—”
“No,” I cut her off even as I glance down at my nails, which are free from polish since I’ve been doing the dizzying back and forth transitions between Darling and Eros. I’ve even trimmed them shorter than normal so that Ted doesn’t stand out. But she’s right. I see a snag across the white tip of my thumbnail that’s in danger of peeling back. Dammit. I must have ripped it on that tree when I ran into Colter.
A vision of the huge man looming over slides into my mind unbidden, and my throat dries out just at the intensity of the memory.
“Bry? Bry?”
I realize I didn’t respond to her question. “Oh. Um. Sure. Clear please.”
“Bah, clear is boring.”
“Just clear.”
She issues a disapproving noise through her nose as I clear my throat. “Actually, there was something else I wanted to ask. A bigger favor.”
