Gage basically drags me out of the club, even as I struggle a little, putting on a show. He knows I can’t just disappear. I’m not supposed to draw attention to myself, and a girl disappearing will definitely raise a few eyebrows.
As soon as we’re outside, I jerk out of his grip, and glare at him.
“I’m not really sure you guys ever hear the stupid that comes out of your mouths. I can watch you? But I can’t touch anyone?” I ask, shaking my head.
“I didn’t say that,” he tells me as Ezekiel comes up and tosses me over his shoulder like a barbarian.
I’m going to smother them in their sleep tonight.
“If you don’t think the same way, then put me down. I can promise you I have no intentions of watching you four paw all over another woman, all while you tell me how toxic I am for you. I’m certainly not going to let you dictate whether or not my vagina gets christened or not.”
“Can’t do that,” Ezekiel growls, sounding much too angry. “I told you this would happen,” he adds, glaring back at Gage.
“This was Kai’s idea. We never considered she’d be this fucking annoying and shameless.”
“I’ve told you I lost shame a long time ago. I have the four of you to thank for that,” I remind them, groaning as Ezekiel continues to carry me.
As soon as we reach the park, he siphons us, and the next step we take is inside his living room. He dumps me to the couch, dropping me like it burns too much to hold me another second, just as Kai and Jude appear in the room.
“Unless we lock her up, it’ll do no fucking good to leave her here,” Kai gripes, apparently carrying on a conversation I’ve already missed part of.
“Can’t lock her up, jackass. She can just pass through walls. Not even soul stone keeps her in,” Jude growls.
“I can assure you there’s no way you can confine me,” I decide to interject, earning a murderous glare from Kai before he directs his attention to Ezekiel and Gage.
“I told you it was pushing her too far, but you had to be a dick,” Ezekiel says as he starts making a sandwich.
“I find this all utterly ridiculous and a complete double standard. Why is it okay for the four of you to take home another girl but I can’t bring home a guy?” I ask seriously.
“Because we’re guys. It’s allowed,” Kai states just as seriously.
“I’m going to pretend you’re not referring to archaic social proprieties, considering you have none, and try not to stab you for that completely chauvinist remark.”
They don’t even glance my way, as they continue talking amongst themselves.
“No girl or her. Those are currently our options if we expect her to stay chaste while we wait things out,” Ezekiel tells them.
I nod in agreement.
“She doesn’t have to stay with us, then we don’t have to see her with other men,” Jude bites out, even though he seems to say it with strain.
Kai disappears from the room, and I hear him cursing above us as heavy footsteps stomp around the second floor.
“You want me gone now?” I ask, my voice a little quieter as I look at Jude.
He gives me a look that has me flicking my flesh switch off so that I become untouchable.
“No. I unfortunately don’t want you gone. But for whatever reason, I can’t physically allow you to be with another man. At the same time, I can’t physically stand to be without the feel of a woman much longer, or I need to kill something to work off the steam. You’re driving us all crazy.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I blow out a frustrated breath. “I honestly don’t even know how to deal with you right now. Neal might have been my future true love, and I didn’t even get to tell him that I was looking forward to finding out. Instead, I ran off after you four morons barged in like cavemen.”
It grows quiet, and I look up to see the three of them just staring at me for a moment.
“You were going to tell him he might be your future true love?” Gage asks, studying me intently.
“Yes. In case you haven’t noticed, I like to be honest in my intentions from the start. If things change, I’ll inform him,” I state matter-of-factly.
Jude seems to fight a smile for no real reason. Their mood swings grew old months ago.
“Then I suppose we should let you do that,” Jude says, still fighting a smile. “You can go back to the club.”
“He actually gave me his apartment number,” I boast, feeling like I accomplished something, considering the very limited time frame I had to meet anyone tonight.
Ezekiel surprises me the most as he takes a seat. “Then I guess we shouldn’t stop you. True love is nothing to mess with,” he says seriously, though I swear I hear a hint of amusement.
In fact, they weirdly all look a little amused, when only moments ago it seemed like they were ready to kill someone.
“You’ll seriously let me go?” I ask, glancing back at the time. It’s only been thirty minutes…
“Like E said, can’t mess with true love. Even we have boundaries, Key,” Jude tells me, his tone very close to mocking.
“Then I have thirty minutes to kill, because he said to be there in an hour.”
“You should go now,” Ezekiel urges. “Guys prefer for a girl to be much earlier than expected. The more eager you seem, the better.”
I don’t really trust them, so I siphon away quickly, making sure they don’t stow away and ruin my moment with Neal. I land in the cemetery they frequent, then start asking people for directions when I turn whole.
It takes a little while, but I finally find the building and buzz the appropriate apartment. I think.
But he doesn’t answer.
“Already here?” I hear him ask, causing me to whirl around to see him as he grins at me from the sidewalk.
I’m actually late, but I know for a fact men hate it when you correct them. I’ve learned a lot since trying to be a real girl.
“I ditched them faster than anticipated,” I tell him with a shrug. “There’s something I need to tell you before we go any farther.”
His grin only grows. “I can’t wait to hear it, as long as it’s no freaky secret,” he says, holding his hands up, though a teasing glint seems to be in his eyes.
Smiling back at him, I blurt it all out.
Chapter 24
I appear in the living room, where all four guys are lounging and eating pizza, and their attention turns to me as the TV plays on. Four matching, taunting grins mock me with just their existence.
“I hate all of you,” I say flatly, walking up the stairs without a backward glance.
“I guess he wasn’t quite ready for true love?” Jude calls to my back.
I flip him off over my shoulder, ignoring the riotous amounts of laughter that heckles me. I’ve never seen a guy run so fast in all my life, or make up so many excuses as to why he had to get away from me.
Sheesh.
You’d think I offered him a deadly virus. I’m assuming this is a guy thing, and three out of four of them manipulated me into making an irredeemable ass of myself.
Next time, I’ll take it a little slower.
People say “live and learn” for a reason.