Infinity Chronicles Book Three

by Albany Walker

  I walk forward so Ollie isn’t dragging me so much anymore. The first door opens, and he ushers me through. I grab the handle of the second, but Milo’s hand covers mine. I look up to find him right beside me, his eyes gentle as he watches me.

  “Thank you,” I mutter to the both of them, a little flustered under Milo’s new attentiveness. Ollie chuckles like he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

  “Laura, I am so glad to see you,” Maggie calls out in greeting before turning to the guys. “Milo where have you been boy? It’s been ages!”

  “Not really Gran, just under a week,” he counters, but wraps his arms around the robust woman anyway.

  “Oliver, I haven’t seen you all week either.” Maggie’s eyebrows raise.

  “We’ve been eating at home more,” Ollie admits, clapping and rubbing his hands together, while sucking air through his teeth. “But I’m ready for some of Gus’s famous greasy diner gourmet, what ya got for me?”

  Maggie tsks, but she can’t hide the tilt of her lips. “You want food, you had better get to work first. I ain’t feeding you for free boy.” She looks down the edge of her nose at him, even though he’s taller than her. “You eat nearly as much as Dante.” Her words could be insulting, but we all know they’re not.

  Ollie smooths his hand over his flat abdomen and gives her an unrepentant grin. “Put me to work, cause I came prepared to eat.”

  The day passes by quickly, and before I know it, it’s early evening. The diner crowd is subdued, comprised mostly of older couples and small families. I haven’t made a ton in tips with Ollie taking half the tables, but I don’t really need the money anymore either, so it doesn’t bother me.

  True to his word, Ollie came hungry. He hasn’t had a proper sit-down lunch or dinner, none of us have, but he’s eaten enough to fill at least three plates.

  Maggie has had Milo working on things like changing the light bulbs over the tables and in the bathroom, and dusting the plants that are up on high shelves, while we work the dining room. I think she’s been relishing keeping him busy over the last few hours, and I think she’s enjoyed his company too.

  As it gets closer to the end of my shift, I remember that Ares won’t be here to pick me up, and that Dante won’t be waiting at home in the kitchen, ready to eat. I look over at Milo, wondering if he’s heard from them again. Dante called right after they landed to let us know they arrived, and that they were going to the hotel. As far as I know, neither of the guys have heard from them since. I’m glad I was able to keep busy most of the day, I have a feeling going home without them there will be hard.

  Catching me staring in his direction, Milo waves at me. I return the gesture then focus on what I need to do before closing.

  “Do you remember the first time we met? We we’re in that booth over there and you came over to take our order. All shy and sweet, with those big, beautiful eyes hiding so many secrets.” Ollie has his hands wrapped around my hips, and he’s standing behind me, speaking softly into my ear.

  “I remember, but that wasn’t the first time I saw you.” I turn in his embrace and set my arms on his shoulders.

  He cocks a brow. “I’m all ears. Tell me what it was like seeing me for the first time.” He lowers his voice and his head. I feel the slight brush of his lips across mine as my eyes flutter shut. Ollie’s cocky, cavalier attitude is always there, but he seems genuinely curious about it.

  He pulls back and I settle my palm over his heart, his warmth seeping into me without purposefully pulling it from him. I look over his shoulder and think back to the first day I saw him, Dante, and Milo together before school.

  “I was hiding behind that big old oak tree, you know, the one just before you get on the school grounds. You three were standing together, and you guys drew my attention immediately.” I peek back up at him through my lashes.

  “I couldn’t figure you guys out.” Ollie tilts his head at my statement. “Even from that far away I knew you guys were…” I wave my hand and roll my eyes. “The guys, you know. The most popular boys, but I was so confused because you all seemed so different from each other.”

  One side of Ollie’s lips lift in a smirk as he listens. “I called you Skater boy.” He barks out a laugh, his head falling back. I smile even though he’s kinda laughing at me.

  “What’s so funny?” Milo comes over and leans on the mop he was using in the men’s bathroom. I could kiss him for doing it for me. Maybe I will later. I bite my lip, my cheeks heating from the thought.

  “You gotta hear this, Laura is telling me about the first time she saw us, and we were all together, apparently.”

  “No, I had met Dante the day before in art,” I correct him. “I just didn’t know he was the same boy standing with you yet.”

  Ollie’s laughter fades and he prompts, “Go ahead. You were trying to fit us together, I was Skater boy and…?”

  I narrow my eyes at him before playfully casting my gaze over to Milo. “You were the Jock.” Milo tries to fight a smile but fails.

  “What was Dante?” Ollie asks eagerly.

  “The Bad Boy.” I look down, a little embarrassed of my assessment now, even though I got some of it right. “He was wearing his leather jacket,” I confess, and it comes out kind of like a whine.

  “You know,” Milo says thoughtfully, “I’ve never really thought about it, but I bet that’s what most people think about him. He’s all quiet and broody, with a big chip on his shoulder.” Milo looks off into the distance and a wide smile forms on his lips. “Dante, the Bad Boy,” he says in a super deep, dramatic voice.

  Which makes Ollie lean over, giggling. “Why was I Skater boy and not the beautiful boy, or man of my dreams?” he bats his long eyelashes at me.

  I scoff and swat his chest as I turn away from him. “See if I ever tell you anything again.” I comment over my shoulder while walking away. He and Milo are too busy laughing to even acknowledge my threat.

  I make my way to the back to say good night to Gus and Maggie, but I don’t expect to find them in a lip lock against one cooler. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I blurt out when they untangle and see me standing there struck stupid by the sight.

  “Quitting time?” Maggie asks, completely ignoring the kiss.

  I nod my head and make sure my mouth isn’t hanging open. “Yes, the bathrooms are done, and we mopped the dining room.”

  “All right then, have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow?” she says, but phrases it like a question.

  “Yup.” I pop the ‘p’ sound before spinning on my heels, ready to get the hell out of there before I embarrass myself anymore.

  “Why is your face so red?” Milo asks the moment I clear the door. I widen my eyes and tilt my head, mouthing the word “Later.” His chin jerks back, but he doesn’t question me again, instead he makes a move to go through the doors to the kitchen. I grab his arm with both of mine, stopping him. He looks down at me and my hand. I shake my head super fast with my eyes open wide, telling him not to go in there.

  Instead he yells out, “See you tomorrow Gran, Gus.” I drag him, as much as I can anyway, away from the door and rush to grab Ollie too. I don’t know why catching them making out like high schoolers freaks me out, but it does.

  I release them the moment we’re free from the doorway and jog to the car, sliding into the back seat.

  “You wanna tell me what happened in there?” Milo inquires, leaning into the back from the front passenger seat.

  I stifle a giggle with my finger over my mouth, but the laugh breaks free anyway. Ollie starts Dante’s car, and the throaty purr of the engine reminds me of its owner’s deep voice. “Gus and Maggie.” I shake my head, unable to say the words.

  “What about them?” Milo asks, concerned.

  “I didn’t know, I mean, I kind of thought but I didn’t know they were like, together, together,” I confess in a hushed voice.

  Milo looks at me with squinted eyes. “She’s a Synergist, like you.”

 
“I guess I knew that, but I never really thought about it. She and Gus they were… you know.” I widen my eyes, still not wanting to say it.

  “They were getting busy?” Ollie asks, sounding oddly proud and scandalized at the same time?

  “God no!” I shout. “But they were messing around.” Ollie takes his eyes off the road to look back at me like he needs to see if I’m telling the truth.

  Milo does this whole body shake like he has the willies. “Thank you for stopping me from going in there.” He shutters again.

  “I think it’s awesome.” Ollie laughs. “Good for ole Gus, getting him some.”

  “Ollie,” Milo and I scold at the same time, which makes him laugh even harder.

  “Can we forget this ever happened? I never want to hear about this again.” Milo folds his arms over his chest and scoots down in his seat to sulk.

  About halfway home, I ask the question that’s been on my lips since before I caught Maggie and Gus’s in the kiss. “Have you heard from the guys?” I lean my folded arms over the bench seat up front.

  “No, but they’re a few hours behind us, and they knew you had to work, so they’ll probably call in a little while.” I lean back, not at all mollified by Milo’s answer.

  The house looks normal, with lights glittering from a few of the windows. With Rosa and the guys home now, it’s fuller than ever. But it feels strangely empty when I kick my shoes off in the mudroom. Milo and Ollie are with me, so there’s no banter coming from the kitchen where they all usually wait for me after work.

  Sadness quickly falls over me. How is it that I’ve become so dependent on having all four of them around me in such a short time? Milo presses a hand against the small of my back. “Everything okay?” His eyes search mine.

  I tighten my lips, pulling them up at the corners in a mock smile. “Yeah, just feels different.” I shrug, hoping that’s enough of an explanation.

  He nods, his eyes closing on an extended blink. “Let’s grab something to eat. If we haven’t heard from them by the time we’re done, we can call them, sound good?” A small fissure of relief fills me. Knowing that even though they’re halfway across the country, but only a phone call away, makes me feel a little better.

  The lights in the kitchen are low, the faint glow radiating above the tall cabinets creating a welcoming backdrop. Milo heads to the fridge while Ollie pulls out one of the stools at the counter for me to sit. “Looks like some kind of pasta,” Milo announces, pulling a casserole dish from the fridge and peeling back the clear cling wrap at the corner, then putting his nose near the gap. “Chicken parm?” He looks over his shoulder at me. “There might be some roast left from yesterday,” he offers, poking his head back into the fridge while he balances the dish on one upturned palm.

  “I’m good with either.” I settle my forearms on the counter while Ollie pulls out the seat next to me.

  With efficient movements, Milo lets the door snap closed and pulls down a short stack of plates from the upper cupboard, before addressing Ollie, “You want any?”

  “If there’s enough, yeah,” Ollie answers, setting his phone between us. I peek over at him wondering if he’s just as anxious to hear from the others as I am.

  “There’s plenty.” Milo splits the leftovers between three plates. He hands me the first dish to come from the microwave, with a knife and fork already tucked under the glistening, red noodles. I inhale the scent of fresh garlic and tomatoes before slicing through the crispy breading of thinly sliced chicken breast. I don’t bother waiting for the others to sit down with their food, it’s a courtesy we all usually uphold, but I’m too eager to make the phone call to Ares and Dante to wait.

  The fresh herbs give the sauce a hearty flavor I know didn’t come from a jar. I’ll probably have a stomach ache later from how fast I’m shoveling the food into my mouth, at the very least I’ll have heartburn, but it’s worth it. We eat in relative silence, other than Milo asking Ollie to pass the salt.

  I’ve already rinsed my dish and placed it in the dishwasher when Ollie’s phone buzzes on the counter and the screen lights up. His eyes meet mine then flicker own to the phone.

  “It’s for you,” he says, pushing the phone in my direction. I reach forward, snagging it from him, and hit the green icon while putting it to my ear.

  “Hello?” I’m a little breathless as I answer. Dante’s voice fills the room, sounding a little hollow. I jerk the phone from my ear and stare down at the screen.

  “Hello?” he calls again. I can see his face on the phone. His dark hair is a little mussed and his amber eyes search the screen.

  “Dante?”

  “Hold the phone so I can see you.” Extending my arm, I notice a little box in the bottom right corner, when I angle the phone, I can see my face staring back at me. I get distracted and look at myself instead of him for a moment.

  “There you are,” Ares says, pulling my attention back to the larger screen.

  “Hi.” I wave, they probably can’t see me, but I do it anyway. My shoulders slump in relief at seeing both of them. I don’t know why but I feel like crying, not because I’m sad, except something is making me feel a weepy.

  “How was work?” Ares leans his head to the left, appearing to stare right at me.

  “It was okay, Ollie and Milo stayed with me.”

  “She caught Maggie and Gus going at it in the kitchen.” I glare over at Ollie.

  “They were not going at it.” I roll my eyes. “Not yet.”

  “Come on. I’m still eating,” Milo complains.

  “Well…” That’s all Ares says, I think he’s actually at a loss for words. I know it shocked me too.

  Changing the subject, I ask, “Where are you guys? How did today go? Are you coming home soon?” Dante leans back and I catch sight of the room behind him. He must be on the computer the same way we called Rosa a few weeks ago.

  Ares dips past the frame a few times, moving around the room behind the sofa. “We’re in our hotel.” He glances away from the camera. “We don’t have much time, but I wanted to see you before we went to dinner.”

  “We,” I hear Ares call. “We wanted to see you.” His voice grows louder, like he’s getting closer to the computer, before his face fills the screen.

  “What time is it there?”

  “Six thirty,” Dante answers.

  “So, you’re not coming home tonight then.” I try not to sound like I’m pouting but fail.

  Ares lets out a long sigh. “No, we have a dinner meeting in about thirty minutes, actually.”

  “With who?” I almost drop the phone on the counter while trying to rearrange my hold. “Damn it.”

  “Edith Whitmore,” Ares tells me, while unbuttoning the sleeve of his shirt and rolling the cuffs up his forearms. It’s a practiced move, one he does so often he doesn’t even bother looking while he’s doing it. He snaps out his arms once it’s complete and shifts his shoulders. The line of his jaw is tight, along with the seam of his lips.

  I glance over at Dante, who’s now visible since Ares is leaning back into the curve of the sofa. Other than the disheveled hair, Dante looks like his usual self—well, like he looks when we’re at school, anyway. Closed off and a little untouchable.

  “Why a dinner meeting?”

  Dante spares a quick glance in his brother’s direction, then answers, “Because Edith is looking for more than a business opportunity.”

  My mouth falls open a little at his announcement. “What?” I look between them. “What kind of opportunity?”

  Ares snorts out a breath, making his nostrils flare. “It’s not what you’re thinking.” Ares turns, giving Dante a discouraging glare. “She’s looking to make herself an ally, a business ally,” Ares stresses, but Dante pulls a face that makes it seem like he disagrees.

  Disregarding him completely, Ares focuses back on me. “With a little cajoling I’m hoping she will prove herself useful.”

  My eyes narrow, as do my thoughts, what kind of persuad
ing is he planning to use? Before I can ask that exact question, Ollie leans his head close to mine. “Anything on the Leon front?” I hadn’t even realized he’d gotten up from his seat.

  “Too soon to ask any of those questions. That would be the fastest way to shut them up.”

  “How is Edith related to Leon?” Milo questions next, placing his dish into the sink.

  “Cousin,” Ares replies, looking down at his now exposed watch. “We don’t have much time left before we need to head out.”

  In an effort to get closer to them I pull the phone nearer. “Will you call again when you get home?”

  “If it’s not too late, I don’t want to wake you up if you’re already sleeping.”

  “Even if I was, I’d rather you wake me. Dante?” I pull him into the conversation hoping he’ll be easier to convince.

  “Believe me, I want to get out of there as soon as possible, so I hope it won’t be too late,” he answers noncommittally.

  I open my mouth to tell him to call no matter what time it is, but Ares interrupts me. “We really need to go. Ollie, Milo, go put on a movie for her or something.” I think that’s his way of telling them to put me to bed, he knows I never make it through a whole movie. But that’s when I have all four of them with me.

  “I miss you, the way you smell,” Dante blurts out, leaning closer to the camera. It’s like he couldn’t stop himself from saying it, and he wanted to say it before Ares cut off the call.

  “I miss you too, both of you,” I whisper back, meaning the words so much.

  A wave of sadness washes over me once the screen goes foggy and the red phone icon pops up. I thought I would feel better after talking to them, but I don’t. Milo wraps his arm around my shoulder and tugs me to his side. “They won’t be gone long, another day or two tops.”