The sound of voices reached me. Shaz and Arys spoke in low tones. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, pausing to listen.
“The only reason I haven’t killed her is because it would piss off Alexa,” Arys said. “She should have already done it. She spared the bitch. For you.”
“I know that,” Shaz replied, his tone calm and even. “You think I’m proud of myself for that? It means nothing, me and Bianca. She’s just… she’s nobody.”
So, the bitch had a name. Bianca. It brought a bitter taste to my mouth, and I hadn’t even said it aloud.
“What she is, is convenient. Just like Kale is for Alexa. You each seek to hide your weakness from one another when you should be seeking strength in what you share.” Arys was flippant, believing his words to be unarguable.
“You know, Arys, this belief you have that the three of us can live happily ever after… It’s such bullshit.” Shaz’s tone was sour. I could easily imagine the matching expression he likely wore.
Arys didn’t respond right away. I froze, perfectly still, waiting to hear him address Shaz’s valid claim. That thought had crossed my mind as well. There was no room for three in forever. But, choosing between them was something I’d selfishly refused to do. As long as we were all keeping silent on the harsh reality beneath the deceptive surface of our three-way tie, I wasn’t willing to be the one to speak first and break the illusion.
Now, Shaz had done it for me.
“She loves both of us,” Arys spoke softly, sounding lost in thought. “She needs us. You more so than you’re willing to believe.”
“She can’t be with both of us. Not in the long run. It will come down to you or me. Or possibly neither. Can you handle that? Do you even let yourself think about it? Or are you so lost in the fantasy of finally finding her that you’re blinded to reality?”
I bit my lip, unable to accept the words spilling from Shaz. I was expecting Arys to react with anger. He didn’t.
“Of course I’m not blind to reality,” he said solemnly. “I’ve been aware for a long time that you may be the one she chooses. You offer her security. I offer her pain. But, it’s too late for one or the other. She is joined to us both. If you can’t accept it, you’ll have to be the one to walk away.”
Shaz didn’t hesitate before he retorted, “Goddamn you’re a conceited bastard. I know Lex. She may love us both, but she knows how f**ked up this all is. That’s why she runs to Kale. He’s her escape. From us. From being caught in the middle of something bigger than she is.”
“Settle down, pup. She has a purpose, and you are part of it. You both need to stop seeking with others what you should be finding with each other.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why isn’t it?”
That was my cue to announce my wakefulness. It didn’t take much for those two to go from chatty to snarky and aggressive. Better to stop that before it started.
I made my way down the hall, making noise as I went. They both looked up expectantly as I entered the kitchen. Shaz held out a steaming cup of coffee, which I gratefully accepted.
“Did you sleep well?” He asked, gesturing to the soup and sandwiches on the table. What a lifesaver. He knew just as well as I did that Arys’s house was no place to find decent food.
“Surprisingly well, all things considered.” I sipped from the steaming cup, closing my eyes as I savored the caffeine making its way through my system. Such a simple joy.
I made short work of the coffee and sandwiches. I was ravenous and stuffed myself while ignoring the shocked look Arys wore.
“So,” he began when I had finished. “What’s the plan for tonight?”
I shrugged, glancing down at my lack of proper attire. “I don’t have much of a plan. Find something decent to wear. Go pound some information out of any vampire I can get my hands on. Somebody has to know something.”
“I washed your things. You don’t have much here. It’ll do for tonight.” Arys pointed toward the laundry room off the front porch. “I’ll come with you to hunt down some info. Shaz is going to The Wicked Kiss to see what he can find out there.”
I knew what that meant: Shaz was going to see if Bianca knew anything. I had already considered and then dismissed her as a suspect. She wasn’t behind the hit, but there was always a chance she knew who was. The thought of Shaz going right back to her didn’t sit well with me.
“I see. Well,” I fumbled for the right words, or even a good poker face, but came up short. “Ok then. I’m going to call Jez and Kale. Maybe they can help.”