Page 20 of Apricity
“Then you take it at your pace and let me know if something changes. If you want to try and explore yourself further. Until then, the status quo is perfectly fine with me.”
He says nothing else, allowing me to stew and dissect it all for a minute before continuing.
“Get yours all set up?” Cole asks, redirecting like he does best, so I do what I do best and turn my fucking frown upside down.
“Tada!” I step to the side and pull a Vanna White, revealing my snare, perfectly positioned and poised to strike like a cobra. “Like magic. See, I’ll even throw in jazz hands for added effect.”
“Very nice. Such a good job,” he coos, ruffling my hair like a douche. But fuck him if he thinks that’ll get under my skin. And fuck him even more for acting so fucking normal about everything. It helps though.
To hit him back, I start shaking my ass like an overly eager boxer dog, complete with a pitbull smile. “Aww, very good boy. Does the good boy want a treat, too?” he continues to coo, patting his legs, trying to work me over. I push him back, laughing as I stand up straight.
“Ok, fuck off, ya cunt.”
In the next instant, he pulls something out from his side pocket and tosses it at my chest before smirking and walking away.
“What the—oh fuck yeah! Snickers! Wait, where the hell were you hiding this shit?” I ask, the excitement showing all over my face reflects in Cole’s as he watches me fiddle with the wrapper. A second goes by and my smile falls, sheer terror taking over my senses.“Oh crap, did Aly see you hiding this shit? Does she know you have this? Was this hers? Was ithers?! Are you fucking with me right now?!”
Cole shakes his headnoto each of my questions, his smile spreading further and further on his face until I can’ttake it anymore. Aly’s down right vicious when it comes to her sweets. I remember when she ate all the pudding cups and cookies when Jax left the estate. I almost saw my own death in her eyes that night when I asked her if she really needed to eat all three packages herself.
Sweat starts to bead on my brow from my indecision. Do I want to eat the chocolate or do I want to live? Feeling my moral dilemma, he reaches into his side pouch again, retrieving yet another Snickers bar, only this one is king-sized, and waves it in the air between us.
“This one is hers for when she’s done on her end with Jax.” He smiles victoriously before placing it back into his pocket for safe keeping, tapping the outside of the fabric to confirm its location.
Fucking Cole, always three steps ahead of any of us when it comes to Aly. I’m not even sure where he found the damn things but here he is, acting like Mary Poppins and pulling all kinds of shit out of his ass. One of these days I’m going to have to push my pride aside and ask for some tips or something cause, damn! Save some charisma for the rest of us! Fucking Casanova!
Ever since Aly’s come into our lives, her sweets obsession has been well known, resulting in each of us gifting her with as much chocolatey and marshmallowy goodness we can offer. But onthisrare occasion, Cole is offering me, the former head chocoholic of the group, a fucking Snickers bar. Oh, what the hell, the decision’s done been made.
“Aww fuck it, cover me before she sees.”
Cole leans against the same tree I was just propping myself up against a minute ago, keeping an eye down theway for Aly and Jax while I take cover and shove the entire chocolate bar in my mouth, moaning over how good it is. I’m wiping the remaining chocolate from my lips just in the knick-of-time as Cole waves his hand behind his back, smacking my face with the movement, indicating Aly and Jax are headed our way.
I stand to my full height behind him, smacking his hands away with the backs of mine but he just turns towards me and smacks me again, playful in his nature. By the time Aly and Jax make it the rest of the way, Cole and I are in a full-blown slap happy fight.
“What the hell is going on here?” Jax asks, confused as he shoves us apart.
“He started it.” Cole points to me before I can say anything, leaving me slack-jawed in shock at the absolute audacity. Cole sees my reaction but raises an eyebrow in warning. It’s like he’s using telepathy to say ‘fuck around and Aly will find out.’
Touché…
I lower my defenses and kick at the dirt under my boot, tucking tail and pocketing my hands before I’m thrown to the wolves, or in this case, our beautiful she-wolf.
“Alright, children, let’s head back so we can get started on those pitfalls. I want at least one done by tonight. If we all pitch in and dig, it shouldn’t take us that long.”
We each turn to follow his lead but I catch Cole’s smirk just before—
“Yes, daddy.” Quiet. Subtle. Effectively poking the fucking bear. It’s not the first time he’s called Jax this and, every damn time, it reliably gets our leader right in the nuts. Jax stops midstride. A second passes. And another. Then…
“You little shit!” He lunges but Cole’s quick, evading Jax’s attempts to grab him while we all fall into fits with laughter. Aly dominoes my way, making me fall to the ground with her in my arms above me. It’s a happy moment, content with our little family.
Hearing Aly sigh, I turn my gaze to hers only to see her inquisitive eyes staring at my lips. No… not my lips… the corner of my lips. Her eyes dilate.
Oh fuck…
I snake my tongue out, trying and failing over and over to retrieve what gooey leftovers might have strayed from my mouth. She tilts her head, rising like a viper waiting to strike, when all of a sudden, a king-sized chocolate bar comes flying out of nowhere and onto my chest. She picks it up and gasps excitedly, forgetting about whatever the fuck was on my face and takes a seat next to me, smiling and bouncing on her butt like a giddy little rabbit.
Crisis averted. Holy shit that was close…
I look up at Cole who’s still being chased by Jax. He gives me a two-fingered salute, complete with his signature know-it-all smirk, before leading Jax and the rest of us right to where we need to start digging.
