Page 18 of Wolves & Watercolors
Seeing them side by side is unsettling - there is no way they aren’t twins. Copy and paste. And yet they look so different. Cedar is cleaner cut, brighter. Onyx looks like he probably used guyliner in high school.
“Hello, miss me?” The brother says, smirking as Marigold jumps up and throws her arms around him. When she releaseshim, he focuses on Hazel. “Stay there, sweetheart.” He walks over and stoops to hug her.
“Missed you! Where is your beautiful girlfriend?”
Onyx shrugs. “Ember didn’t want to leave things unattended. She’ll be here for the baby shower though.”
Cedar steps closer to my seat, and I tip my chin up to see his face. “Aurora, this is my brother, Onyx.”
“The sister,” he says. I set my plate aside and rise in time to get swept up in a tight hug. When Onyx releases me, I catch a scowl on Cedar’s face. He’s practically glaring at his brother.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, sinking back into my seat.
The twins get plates, and Onyx sits on the floor against Hazel’s chair, while Cedar sits beside me on the sofa.
“Cedar was saying you moved. How far away is it?” I ask Onyx.
“About a forty-minute drive north of here. Well, you have to go east, then north, then west. There isn’t a very direct route. Not for cars, anyway.”
“Will you go back home tonight?”
“Definitely. I don’t like to be away from Ember overnight. These two would kill me if I didn’t take good care of her, though she’s usually the one saving my ass.” He jerks his chin toward Slate and Jasper.
From the expressions on their faces, I suspect that is true. A few pieces start to click into place. “So your girlfriend,” I start.
“Ember,” Onyx supplies.
“Is Jasper and Slate’s sister?”
“Yeah.” Onyx says, sounding amused.
“But you and Cedar are Slate’s cousins?” I speak my thoughts out loud without filtering them. At least I stop myself before I accuse him of dating someone he is related to.
Marigold lets out a laugh. “She just put it together.” She presses her hand over her eyes. “You guys better explain.” With a snort of laughter, her head falls onto Jasper’s shoulder.
Slate rolls his eyes but sits forward and wets his lips. “Ember and Jasper are my half-siblings. We share a mom. Different dads. But on mydad’sside, I have an aunt, who is the twins’ mom. So they aren’t related to Jasper or Ember, just me.”
“Thank fuck,” Onyx mutters.
It’s my turn to laugh uncomfortably. “Okay, that makes sense, I guess.”
“I know it’s confusing,” Hazel says, a wry smile overtaking her face. “No one exactly expected Ember and Onyx to hook up, but she was here to visit us and that’s exactly what they did.”
“Hey! Not a random hook up. Marigold, tell them.” Onyx looks between them, scowling.
Marigold shrugs. “I’m not the one to talk about hook ups versus relationships. It took me ages to realize I was in love with Jasper and not just hot for him.”
“It’s okay,” Jasper says softly, placing a kiss below her ear. I swallow, something inside of me twinging. I can’t imagine having a boyfriend treat me that sweetly, or be that passionate in such a small way.
“Did you all grow up together?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me. Could I make this any weirder?
“Well, Slate, the twins, and I did,” Marigold says. “Jasper grew up a few miles north, but he moved here a couple of years ago. Luckily.” She beams at her partner.
“And you know Hazel joined us a couple of years ago,” Marigold continues. The best friend vibes are strong between them as Marigold winks at my sister.
My blood goes cold as I realize they’re all in serious relationships, and then there’s Cedar and me. It’s like a quadruple partially-blind date. A triple date with two extrawheels. What does Cedar think about this? He tolerated me just fine in his garden this morning, but I know I can be annoying.
“You okay?” he whispers, leaning until his upper arm brushes mine. His body heat radiates through the thin shirt he wears. It’s different than the white shirt he wore in the garden. I take the opportunity to look at him properly. He must have showered, because his messy hair lies smoother and darker, like it’s still damp.
