Because he copied me?
I cock my head to him.
“Never,” Akara scoffs. “If Banks led us, we’d all end up in a dark, dank jungle in a ditch.”
I laugh hard. Because it’s true.
Ding.
The elevator stops and slides open to the penthouse foyer.
Sulli uses her keys and unlocks the door to 9000 square feet of home.
Her home.
My job has always had me standing outside rich, lavish settings, peering into a world that couldn’t be more unfamiliar to me. Then Thatcher went off and married a Cobalt. Attaching the Morettis to the Cobalt Empire is still a fucking weird combo.
But inside, my brother fits well in both worlds.
Me?
I don’t see myself acclimating as well as he did, but strangely enough, the penthouse doesn’t feel so unfamiliar. The walls aren’t dripping in one-of-a-kind oil paintings. Diamond chandeliers aren’t hoisted overhead.
The penthouse might be big, but it’s dressed with familiarity: brick walls, earthy brown woods, and photographs hung of Sulli’s family, Jane’s family, Maximoff and Luna’s family.
As soon as we step inside, a skateboard whizzes across the floorboards. Not a soul on the thing.
Luna races after. “Sorry!”
The skateboard curves towards us, and Akara grabs the board before it collides into Sulli’s ankles. Luna rolls to a stop, panting, and Orion, a black-furred Newfoundland puppy, leaps after her. Luna lovingly pats his head.
Why the fuck the dog catches my attention first—I have no clue. Because Luna’s face is covered in googly eyes.
Now I have trouble looking into her real eyes.
“Hey, Luna,” Sulli raises her bowl of pasta in greeting.
“Howdy.” Luna smiles, pulling her long, light-brown hair off her shoulders.
I nod to her. Not as close to Luna as I am to Xander. But I worked so long for the Hale family that I saw Luna grow up more than I ever saw Sulli.
She flashes the Vulcan salute.
“This is yours.” Akara waves the skateboard before handing it to Luna.
“Thanks.” She tucks it under her armpit. “I’m trying to teach Orion how to skateboard. It’s going…” She glances at Orion who circles her feet excitedly. “Not so great.” She sniffs the air, then makes a face. “What’s that?”
“Fucking pasta,” Sulli says.
“It’s barely pasta,” I add.
Luna rubs Orion behind his ears. “Is it supposed to smell burnt?”
“Okay, that’s it,” Akara decrees, “we’re not eating this shit.” He takes my bowl, then Sulli’s, stacking them onto his bowl. “I’m ordering us actual takeout.”
“Thank fucking God,” Sulli exhales.
I smack Akara’s chest with the back of my hand. “My savior.”
“Jesus is your savior,” he says into a short laugh.
“But you can call Him up on speed dial. Tell Him I’d like a pizza. Heaven-sent.”
Sulli and Luna laugh, and Akara mimes a phone to his ear. “Hello, God, I’d like to report a sin—”
“Alright, alright.” I wear a slow-rising smile. “We all know my ass is headed for hell anyway.”
Akara gives me a strong look like I’m wrong, and before Luna turns to leave, Sulli quickly steps forward and says, “Oh hey, do you have a sec, Luna? I have to tell you something important.”
Let’s do this.
I unpocket a canister of toothpicks and slip one between my lips. Though I’m ready for any hellfire, I feel like I need to strap into the walls. Just in case this all goes fucking sideways.
“Sure,” Luna says with a frown. “Is everything okay?” She sets her skateboard down, and Orion hops on, then off, then darts in another direction. Luna watches her energetic dog go but doesn’t bother calling him back or chasing him down.
“Yeah.” Sulli crosses her arms. “Um, it’s just kind of fucking hard to explain—I mean, it’s not that hard. But…” She blows out a breath.
Akara and I are staring at our girlfriend. Waiting to see if she needs one of us to pull the grenade.
Luna says, “It can’t be anything worse than I’ve done.” She pauses. “Do you want to talk in private?” She means away from us.
“No, it’s about Akara and Banks too.”
With his free hand, Akara gently shuts the door behind us, and I lean a shoulder on the wood.
Luna pries only one googly eye off her cheek. “Are you all going on another road trip?”
“Not anytime soon,” Akara answers.
Sulli shakes out her limbs again. “Alright, so here it is.” She rests her hands on her hips. “Luna, I’m dating Banks and Akara.”
“Both?” Her eyes are saucers with a growing smile. Add in those googly eyes, and it’s almost comical.
I feel my lips try to lift.
“Yeah, both,” Sulli nods. “It’s pretty new to us. We started dating in Yellowstone, but I always thought I’d have to pick one of them in the end. Until I talked to Beckett about polyamory. And it’s something the three of us want to be in—a polyamorous relationship.”
Knew Sulli could do it.
Luna starts nodding. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve read about poly relationships in some fics online.” Her lips rise more, reddening her cheeks. “That’s really cool, Sulli.” She bursts into a bigger smile, then says, “You’re dating two dudes at once. It’s like the ultimate fantasy.”
“But it’s real,” Sulli emphasizes.
“Yepyep, I know,” Luna says fast. “I won’t judge. Everyone likes all sorts of different things.” Luna shrugs. “It’s something I like reading about in sci-fi fics, but I don’t know if I could ever do it.”
Sulli nods a hell of a lot.
Akara and I exchange a look. She’s nervous. Maybe because Luna is someone who seems game for most daring things. But Sulli is the one swimming towards those rapids.
We’re with you, mermaid.
Luna continues, “Dating one guy is already a lot of work, especially with our parents…” She trails off. “Are you keeping it secret from them?”
“Not really,” Sulli says. “My dad already knows. It’s a long story.”
Luna looks horrified. “Uh-oh.”
Akara whispers to me, “That’s putting it mildly.”
“Rah.” I drop the ooh to the rah.
“Maybe you, uh, shouldn’t tell Moffy,” Luna says. “If your dad had a bad reaction, then my dad would be out for blood. And you know Moffy goes three-fourths Loren Hale.”
Three-fourths out for blood.
Pack me up and ship me out, I’m prepared for war.
Surprisingly, Sulli is too. “I have to tell him, Luna. I can’t keep anymore fucking secrets. It’s hard enough dating, but dating in secret sucks.”
Luna’s gaze goes gentle. “I get it. Not that I’m dating anyone in secret.” She looks right at Akara.
Akara stiffens. “Is there something I should know?”
“No,” Luna says quickly. “Forget I was here.” She hops on the skateboard and rolls away. What the fuck…?
“She’s dating one of the guys?” I ask Akara.
“Quinn,” Akara guesses with heat. “Shit.”
“No,” Sulli snaps. “She just said she’s not in a secret relationship. Believe her.”
He touches his chest. “I’m not not believing her. But she is definitely hiding something, Sul. And if it’s not being with Quinn, then what else?”
Sulli buries her face in her hands and groans. “Don’t make me break a secret.”
I bite on the toothpick. “I’ll be fucking damned, she knows.”
“Our little secret-keeper,” Akara muses with a sigh.
Sulli reappears. “I’m not little!”
We smile, and Akara tells her, “Banks and I will figure out the mystery without you, so you don’t have to break a thing.”
I cock my head to her. “Looks like you’re dating the Hardy Boys.”
&
nbsp; She laughs into a smile, but just as she opens her mouth to speak, we hear a voice echoing from the kitchen. A voice that deadens the air around us. That drops Sulli’s face. That tenses my muscles.
I turn to Sulli. “What in the hell is your grandmother doing here?”
6
SULLIVAN MEADOWS
Grandmother Calloway.
All my life my mom and dad made sure to limit my exposure to my grandparents. Every single one.
Like Grandma Sara, my dad’s mom, who I see even more sparingly. She lives a modest life in New Jersey, but I know it wasn’t always that way. At one time, my dad said she lived for money and revenge.
At one point, she was even married to Jonathan Hale. I barely knew my alcoholic grandfather before he died. The one who ensured Nona and I had money set-up from Hale Co. When I was younger, I even tried to contact him at summer camp. I partook in a stupid séance. After our cabin rattled, I raced outside with a baseball bat. I was sure it was him.
Recently, Luna told me it’d been Eliot and Tom playing a prank.
Sometimes I wish I could ask Jonathan why he cared about me and my sister. He cut my dad out of everything financially in the end. But he gave us something.
But Mom and Dad always told us that our grandparents had made some irreparable mistakes raising them. Mistakes that they didn’t want to slide down the generational ladder and affect us.
So most my life I’ve had stadium seats watching the close relationships Grandmother and Grandfather Calloway had with my cousins. There were times I did envy the sleepovers the Cobalts had at the big mansion in Villanova, the Hales usually included too (with the exception of Moffy). He never spent much time around our grandmother.
I remember my jealousy from Jane having our grandfather’s number (in case of emergencies). He’s not even in my cellphone contacts. Growing up, I loved the small moments when Grandfather Calloway would bring me chocolates, because he knows Mom and I could live off chocolatey things. Un-fucking-fortunately, he’s so often quiet and hidden behind his wife.
But even more recently, all that envy has evaporated into dust. Grandmother Calloway’s true colors have all but farted out into the air, and they’re not pretty.
Being frank, I always knew she had a royal stick up her ass. She thinks my mom could’ve landed someone better than my dad. Someone proper. Someone with less fucks. And if I weren’t an Olympian, I sometimes wonder how much I’d be worth to her.
So I’m not too shocked to find her literally clutching the pearls at her neck. Her Birkin is hooked on the crook of her arm, and at first, I think she’s aghast at the interior decorating: butcher block counters, forest-green cupboards, and four velvety yellow stools hugging the long island, complete with a deep sink.
No glitz or real glamour.
But she’s not critiquing the cupboards.
Or even my pile of dirty dishes in the sink.
She’s standing at the refrigerator while Maximoff and Farrow square off with her in front of the sink, and I realize we’ve walked into a very bad showdown.
“You need to call them now,” Maximoff says coldly. “Tell them not to come.”
What the fuck is going on?
Farrow glances our way, noticing Akara, Banks, and me sliding into the kitchen. Akara immediately heads for the trash to toss the pasta and paper bowls.
Grandmother Calloway briefly glances to me. “Sullivan, dear…” She eyes my sweaty shirt, then forces a tight smile. “Tell your mother I said hi and that we should grab lunch soon.”
“Maybe you should tell her yourself,” I try to say without being too rude. But for one, I’m more apprehensive than eager to call my mom, and for another, if my mom is avoiding my grandmother’s calls, it’s because she doesn’t want to talk to her.
Fucking duh.
A noise catches in her throat like I was offensive.
Moffy cuts back in and repeats with force, “Tell them not to come.”
She makes a show of blowing out a dramatic breath. “That’s a little overboard, Max. They’re on their way right now.”
“Who?” Akara asks. He’s in full-on security mode, hand already slinking to the cell in his pocket.
Grandmother Calloway ignores him, but Farrow answers easily, “Delivery men. She bought Jane a wedding present that’s being delivered today.”
“I didn’t buy my granddaughter anything.” She bristles. “I’ve been waiting for someone to wed in this family, so I can give them this family heirloom.”
Fucking ouch.
Maximoff and Farrow got married before Thatcher and Jane. Moffy goes rigid next to his husband, jaw setting down like he’s grinding his teeth.
Farrow is usually cool, calm, collected, but he’s staking knives into my grandmother. His hand slips into Moffy’s hand.
I swear she prickles more.
And I grow hot with anger. “You can leave now,” I snap.
“Excuse me,” Grandmother balks at me. “Sullivan, you can’t speak to me that way.”
Fucking leave! I almost yell, but I temper my building rage. Winona has a hard time controlling her anger, and I don’t want these hotheaded fragments to take over. “I don’t think you should be here,” I say less concisely, less angrily.
“Well, I am.” She humphs.
“Sulli is right,” Moffy says. “If you wanted to come here, you should’ve called.”
“My grandchildren live here. I don’t need to call.”
Farrow rolls his eyes, then says, “See, we need to establish boundaries. If your grandchildren are saying they want you to call, then you need to call before you arrive. It’s that simple.”
She purses her lips. “Well, I don’t see Jane anywhere. She lives here too, and this gift is for her.”
Moffy cracks a few knuckles.
Akara tenses more, then leans over and speaks hurriedly to Farrow. “Delivery men are coming up here?”
I wonder if this is a security breach.
Farrow shakes his head. “Man, no one is coming up here. It’s not happening.”
Grandmother Calloway makes a noise. “It’s not for you to decide. Jane appreciates sentimental gifts.”
“What is it?” Banks asks.
Grandmother Calloway waves a hand at him like he’s a fly. “It’s a wonderful surprise for my eldest granddaughter.” And a surprise for all of us. Her eyes are on Moffy. “Don’t deprive your cousin of that just because of your issues with me.”
Moffy hesitates, brows knitting in doubt.
Farrow glares harsher at her.
“I’d ask Jane right now,” Moffy says. “But she’s on a plane—”
“Then it’s settled,” Grandmother Calloway interrupts quickly. “We’ll have the delivery men set it up in the living room.” She checks her diamond encrusted watch. “Look at the time. I have tea with some friends.” She struts towards the door. “Take care, Max—oh my Lord!”
Luna pops into the kitchen. Googly eyes still on her face. “Hey, Grannie,” she says casually as she grabs a Fizz Life out of the fridge.
Grandmother Calloway’s face goes red. “Luna, dear. You have something on your face.”
“You were leaving,” Maximoff says firmly before their interaction can last any longer.
I could fucking applaud. Maybe even do a cartwheel. Because she actually nods curtly and heads out the fucking door.
Good riddance.
Farrow is quick to follow her out, untrusting. I don’t really blame him on that front. She’s the reason Jane had to deal with the Cinderella ad, and now she’s personally delivering her a “surprise” wedding present. I don’t envy how obsessed our grandmother is with Jane’s life.
Akara clicks his mic. “Akara to Quinn, go to the lobby. Don’t let any delivery men into the private elevator.”
Just as he says the words, my phone buzzes.
Maximoff’s chimes.
Luna’s lets out a galactic ping-ping-ping.
Farrow’s phone vibrates on the coun
tertop.
Along with them, I check my phone and see the group chat labeled Roommates.
Thatcher and I will be home in an hour. Let’s do charades! I can’t wait to see all your faces again. – Jane
Charades.
Oh fuck. Stress builds on my chest. I didn’t imagine telling my roommates about my relationship during a game of fucking charades. Alright, it’s only a slight screwball in the grand scheme of things. Maybe a game will ease the tensions and be the perfect time.
Maybe this will all go superbly well.
Maybe I’m just fucking fooling myself.
7
AKARA KITSUWON
“A lion!” Donnelly shouts.
Luna prances around on all fours, taking her turn at charades. “Nope,” she says from the ground. Others on her team throw out incorrect guesses from the blue, mod sofa.
Jane, Sulli, and Luna decorated most of the communal areas, and of what Sulli told me, the living room is 50s Mad Men inspired. With the brick walls and family photographs, some part of the penthouse still reminds me of their townhouse that burned down.
Flames flicker in the gas fireplace and warms everyone on this cold November night, but Team O-Squad (Sulli, Luna, Donnelly, Farrow, and Jack), headed by Oscar, is snuggled under heaps of blankets and cradling bowls of popcorn, pretzels, and some kind of Filipino chips Jack brought over.
Team A-Squad (Banks, Thatcher, Jane, Maximoff, and Quinn), headed by me, has been showered with a couple stale bags of Fritos. Normally, I’d butter up my team like Oscar. Normally, as a team captain, I’d even be all-in on winning. But my concentration, attention, complete brain capacity is zeroed in on Sulli and Banks.
Romance.
My love life.
Something that I’ve never fretted over. Something that I’ve never placed before career success or Security Force Omega. I never met anyone important enough.
But that’s a lie. Because Sulli has always been there, and she’s always been my greatest importance. You were in so much damn denial.
I push back my thick hair, only for the strands to fall forward.
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