Cricket (Cricket Kendall Book 1), page 24
Cas answers before I can. “I went over to her house earlier and caught her playing with her brothers. She asked if I would play with them when I got home.”
Theo bursts out laughing, and I can imagine his nose all scrunched up adorably. “You are such a piece of shit, Cas! You told me I shouldn’t go by her house because she needed her space, and Hollis fucking agreed with you!”
Holy crap, that’s hilarious. I freaking love Cas.
“Wait, did Cricket tell you guys she needed space?” Killian interrupts.
Emerson doesn’t even wait for one of them to respond before snorting. “Don’t listen to her when she pulls that shit. Cricket is the clingiest person ever.”
Cas and Theo laugh, and I gasp. “Shut up, I am not!”
Killian snickers. “You called us crying every day for two fucking weeks when we first left for college.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I missed you guys.” I say. Cas and Theo continue to crack up.
After they calm down, Theo officially introduces himself to the twins.
“So, Cas. Is Cricket one of those super-hot gamer girls like the ones on those live-stream sites?” Theo asks in a teasing voice.
“No.” Cas snorts. “It took her like ten minutes to even notice I was there. She was wearing this ugly hobo shirt that’s way too big on her and screaming at the TV like a fucking maniac. She’d also just eaten an entire box of Oreos.”
My brothers laugh so fucking hard, and Emerson chokes out, “Real classy, Cricket.”
“No wonder you’re not getting laid!” Killian laughs.
Theo and Cas make these choked, laughing sounds. I’m glad they’re not here to see the mortified expression on my face. Seriously, I could fucking kill my brothers sometimes.
“Screw you guys. And Cas, you fucking liar. I didn’t eat the entire box.”
“Okay, fine. Maybe you ate half. But I’m pretty sure you made up for it with those chocolates I brought you.” Cas chuckles.
The four of them continue teasing me. I’m just so fucking happy that my brothers seem to like the guys. Killian, Emerson, Cas, and I are still playing the game, and Theo stays in the party to talk to us. Everything would be absolutely perfect right now if Hollis were in the party, too. I consider texting him and asking what he’s doing.
Like magic, Theo says, “Hold on, guys. Hollis is getting online. I’m gonna invite him to the party.”
I’m already grinning like crazy when I hear Hollis’s voice. “Hey, what’s up?”
Theo sighs. “Guess what? Cricket’s been sneaking behind our backs and playing PUBG with Cas.”
“Oh my god, you are so dramatic!” I exclaim.
“Do you cheat at this game too, Cricket?” Hollis chuckles.
I giggle, and Killian snorts. “I’m not surprised. What game did she cheat on?”
Hollis doesn’t question who he’s talking to. “Super Smash Bros.”
My brothers, Theo, and Cas laugh. We keep talking, not even playing the game anymore. Emerson says he needs to get off soon, anyway, since he has hockey practice in the morning. Killian says he’ll get off too, but first he asks what kind of cars Hollis and Theo drive.
“Mine is the coolest.” Cas says arrogantly after they answer.
“No fucking way! It’s completely impractical.” Theo barks out a laugh.
Cas growls. “I said cool, not practical, you dumb shit.”
Theo huffs in annoyance. “Just wait until it snows.”
“You guys should let Cricket decide which one is the coolest,” Emerson says.
Hollis hums in agreement. “We really need to teach her to drive stick. She can’t drive any of our vehicles.”
“I’ll teach her!” Cas exclaims.
Killian gasps in horror. “Don’t you fucking dare let her drive your Challenger. She’ll ruin it!” The other guys snicker and Killian adds, “I’m actually pretty fucking shocked that any of you guys would consider letting her drive your cars.”
I can tell Theo is smiling just by the sound of his voice. “Well, why not? You can learn in the jeep, Cricket. And we’ll all be there to teach you. It’ll be fun!”
A few minutes later, Killian and Emerson get off. Theo and Hollis join a game with me and Cas. While we’re talking and playing, I get a group text from my brothers.
Emerson: We fucking love them! Definitely approve
Killian: yeah seriously, they’re really funny
Emerson: and also all totally in love with you, you slut
I text back and forth with them and tell the guys that Killian and Emerson officially approve of them. Cas seems exceedingly pleased with himself. God, they’re all so cute and amazing. I care about them so much, and I’m so happy to have them in my life.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
My phone rings, waking me up. I blindly reach toward my nightstand to grab it. It takes me a few tries, but I finally answer it.
“Hello?” Ugh, my voice is all gross and croaky. I didn’t even look to see who the hell is calling me.
“Good morning, little witch,” Theo says with an amused growl.
I sit up so fast I fall out the bed with a loud crash. “Ow, fuck. Am I late? I’m so sorry.”
“No, you’re not late. It’s actually pretty early still.” Theo laughs.
I’m sitting on my floor, half tangled up in my blankets. I pull my phone away from my ear to see that it’s not even six yet. I normally don’t wake up until around six-thirty.
“Please tell me there’s a reason you’re calling me this freaking early?”
He clears his throat. “Well, I was kind of wondering if, um, maybe you would want to get some breakfast with me? Just me. You know, before we pick up the guys.”
Oh my god, he sounds so cute and nervous! I feel myself smiling. I don’t even mean to do it, but my voice gets super flirty.
“I would love to! What time are you coming by?”
He clears his throat again. “I’m actually here now. But don’t freak out. I’m fine waiting for you to get ready. However long you need!”
“You’re here now? Outside?” My eyes widen, and I quickly straighten my sheets.
“Yeah.” Theo laughs over the phone, but he still sounds nervous.
I look around my room to make sure there’s nothing overly embarrassing sitting out. Stella is still pretending to be asleep at the end of the bed, but I can see her peeking at me with one eye. I pick up my little Baby Cas stuffed animal and hide it under my pillow. If only so Theo doesn’t feel jealous or make fun of it.
“Hang on one second!” I chirp excitedly into the phone before hanging up.
I rush down all three staircases until I’m in the bookshop and quickly unlock the door. Theo’s parked right out front, pacing back and forth in front of the jeep on the sidewalk. He looks up as soon as I open the door and gives me the most heartwarming smile.
I’m totally grinning my ass off as I run up and jump into his arms. He seems surprised at first, but he laughs and hugs me tightly. I feel like I haven’t seen him in ages, even though I saw him yesterday afternoon and talked to him until late on Xbox last night.
I wrap my legs around his waist and press my forehead against his. He hesitates for a second, but then he places one hand on my butt and the other on my lower back, pulling me even more tightly against him.
He growls low in his throat and buries his face in my neck. “I missed you so fucking much. I couldn’t stay away from you for a second longer.”
“I missed you too,” I whisper, running my fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry I was so bratty yesterday.”
He lifts his head to make eye contact with me. “Don’t apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have listened to Cas and Hollis. I should have come over here to talk to you last night.”
I give him a sheepish grin. “I hope you’re not mad when I say this, but I’m really glad Cas came over last night. He was such a sweetheart, and he made me feel so much better.”
Theo scrunches his nose and up and snickers. “Cas was a sweetheart?”
“Yeah, I was kind of surprised by it too.” I giggle.
“I still wish I’d been the one to make you feel better, but I’m glad he could be here for you.” He nuzzles my hair and gives me an embarrassed smile. “And this probably sounds dumb, but, I mean, you know I’m his alpha now. I feel proud of him for it.”
“That’s not dumb. I’m glad you feel that way.”
We smile at each other like idiots, and Theo sighs. “Okay, as much as I love standing here, holding you like this, I’d still like to take you out to breakfast.”
I blush when I realize I’ve literally just rolled out of bed. “Okay. I still need to shower, but I promise it won’t take me long to get ready.”
Theo’s hand tenses up, and he shuffles his feet. I have a feeling he’d be tapping his fingers on something if he wasn’t holding me. “Do you want me to wait down here?”
“You can come upstairs if that’s not weird for you.”
“No way am I passing up being just on the other side of the door from you while you’re in the shower.” I laugh and roll my eyes. When I try to get down to walk inside, he grips me tighter and shakes his head. “Uh-uh, I’m holding onto you every second possible today. I can carry you upstairs.”
Theo walks into the bookshop with me still wrapped around him, and he locks the door before running all the way up the stairs to my bedroom. He’s not out of breath or anything, and I know it’s because he has crazy werewolf strength. I still kind of hate him for it.
Theo sets me down, sits on my bed, and pets Stella while he watches me. I open the closet door and pick out a bra, underwear, a black camisole, and black shorts. I shoot Theo a cheeky smile before locking myself in the bathroom. I shower and brush my teeth as quickly as possible, and shimmy into my clothes. I leave my hair wet but use my magic to dry my body. I step out of the bathroom to see Theo, looking sexy as fuck, still lounging on my bed. Stella’s nowhere to be seen. Theo is lying back on his elbows, and he’s so tall that his feet are still touching the ground even while he’s in that position. He’s wearing his usual style choice of shorts, a skating shirt, and his vans. His shirt is riding up just a little, and I’m suddenly very curious to see if his abs are as yummy as Cas’s are.
He’s checking me out too, so I decide it’s only fair to flirt back. I give him a sexy smirk. “You know, I’ve never seen you with your shirt off. I’m getting kind of curious over here.”
He scrunches his nose up and laughs before smirking and pulling up the hem of his shirt. “All you have to do is ask, little witch.”
I walk closer to the bed so I can get a better look. And boy, I am not disappointed. His chest and abs are so sexy and defined, and he has a fucking six pack. He’s totally ripped, and I imagine running my tongue over every inch of skin he’s showing me. I want him so badly it hurts. I feel my nipples harden, and I’m getting wet just thinking about it right now. Since my eyes are all over him, I’m able to see that he’s getting hard too. I subconsciously run my tongue along my bottom lip.
He lets his shirt drop back down and groans. “Fuck, Cricket. Stop looking at me like that. You’re driving me crazy.”
I wiggle my eyebrows at him and look away. I need to cut it out before I take it too far. I already kissed Cas last night. I walk over to my mirror and run a brush through my hair before using my magic to dry it. It looks soft and pretty for about thirty seconds before my magic makes it stick out. I sigh in annoyance and set my brush down a little harder than necessary.
Theo walks up behind me, and I meet his eyes in the mirror. He gently tugs on a lock of my hair.
“You know, I love your hair when it’s all crazy and messy. I can’t imagine it any other way.”
I make a face at my hair in the mirror. “I just get frustrated. Sometimes I consider cutting it all off.”
“No!” Theo pleads, widening his eyes in horror. “Please. I mean, if you did, you would still look gorgeous, but fuck. I love your hair so much.”
“You are being extra fucking cute today, you know that?”
He smiles at me and leans forward to wrap me in a hug. He meets my eyes in the mirror. “Are you all ready to go?”
“Almost. Sorry, you’re super distracting.”
“Don’t worry, little witch. We still have plenty of time. I thought it would take you a lot longer to get ready.” He laughs.
I grab my backpack off the floor next to my desk and make sure I have the books and everything that I need. I hand it off to Theo, expecting he’ll end up taking it from me at some point, and open the closet door again. I consider grabbing a flannel, but it’s still warm outside. I opt for a sheer black kimono cardigan with metallic gold embellishments. It’s a little longer than the shorts I’m wearing, but when I look in the mirror, I feel pretty and extra witchy. I pick out a few necklaces and bracelets. I slip on my favorite gold sandals and grin at Theo to let him know I’m ready.
But he’s not looking at me. He’s looking in my closet. I touch his arm. “What’s wrong?”
He reaches his hand up and touches the note he wrote me yesterday that I’d stuck on the back of my closet door. “I didn’t expect you to keep this. I thought you were still mad at me.”
“No way. It made me so happy. I want to look at it every day and remember feeling like that.” I raise an eyebrow at him playfully. “For the record, I wasn’t mad. I was just scared of losing you, and it made me lash out. I really am sorry.”
His eyes widen. “Cricket, I—”
“It’s okay.” I smile, interrupting him. “I’m still scared, I guess. And I still really hate the idea of any of you guys having mates. But Cas told me I have nothing to worry about. He said I’m a part of your pack forever because of our magic and our bond, and it won’t just go away even if you find your mates.”
He stares at me for a long moment and slowly brings his hands up to cup my face. His eyes are boring into mine, and he leans down to lightly press his lips against my forehead. A second later, he leans in again to kiss my nose. When he pulls back, I really think he’s finally going to kiss me. Instead, he grins and picks me up to throw me over his shoulder. I laugh in surprise, and he smoothly picks my backpack up with the other hand.
“Come on, I’m starving!” He chirps happily.
Even though he only has one hand on the back of my thighs to hold me up, I’m not scared he’ll drop me. Plus, I get to stare at his super cute butt. We run into Aurora in the kitchen where she’s making coffee.
Theo says hello to her. She looks surprised for a split second and breaks into a grin. “Good morning, dear. Did you sleep over? I thought I heard someone upstairs with Cricket, but I just assumed it was Cassian after last night.”
“Nobody slept over, Ror.” I groan in embarrassment.
Aurora sighs and rolls her eyes. “There’s no shame in having more than one lover at a time, and I imagine it only makes it better when they all genuinely like each other and get along.”
Theo shakes with laughter, which makes my entire body shake since he’s still holding me over his shoulder. “Oh, little witch. Are you holding out on me? Something happen with Cas last night?”
I smack his butt. “No, and it’s your fault, anyway! He told me you alpha’d him so he and Hollis can only be my friends.”
“Did you just say I alpha’d him?” Theo snorts. “I don’t even think that’s a word. And I can’t believe that bastard. I knew he’d try to make a move on you.”
“So, you admit it then, huh?”
He turns his head to meet my eyes and grins mischievously. “If I can’t have you, neither can they. And Hawthorne alpha’d me first.”
A hysterical giggle escapes my throat. It’s so fucking bizarre. Theo doesn’t sound upset or jealous at the idea of me and Cas, and I know with everything in my heart that he cares deeply about me too. It’s such a welcome relief because I’ve been feeling so mixed up and guilty about my emotions involving the guys.
“See you later, Ror. I’ll probably be home late again.”
She smiles and reaches out to stroke my hair. “Always trust your intuition. As a witch, that’s your strongest gift, even more so than your affinity.” She smiles at Theo sweetly and turns away like she’s dismissing us. “Have a wonderful day!”
Theo gives me a confused look, and I shrug. She’s never said that to me before, but Aurora is a little odd, even for a witch. He scrunches his nose up and continues down the stairs to the bookshop. Stella is lying sprawled across the counter by the register, and I tell her goodbye before Theo and I walk out the door. He holds me until he opens the passenger door and sets me gently in my seat.
When he’s in the driver’s seat, he grins at me. “I was going to suggest our regular diner. They seriously have amazing breakfast food. But if you’re getting sick of that place, let me know.”
“That sounds great to me!”
It’s just barely after six-thirty now, so we still have about an hour before we need to pick up Hollis and Cas before school. The morning air feels crisp, and there’s a slight breeze that my magic relishes. After a few minutes of driving in a comfortable silence, Theo taps his fingers on the steering wheel.
“What’s wrong?”
Theo blushes and clears his throat. “I probably shouldn’t ask this. I don’t want to embarrass you or piss you off. But it’s kind of driving me crazy wondering...”
My face warms, and I don’t even know what he’s going to ask me yet. “I’d rather you be honest with me. We are supposed to be best friends. I promise I won’t get mad.”
“Okay.” He gives me a nervous smile. “Are you, um, upset? About me ordering Cas and Hollis that they can’t be anything more than friends with you? If you are, I can undo it. If you like one of them or if you want to sleep with one of them. I know you told your brothers you’re not, uh, getting laid.”
