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DAEMON

“Shift up,” I say, nudging Calli’s arse with my foot.

She immediately slides over and I join them.

“I brought beer,” I say, holding a bottle out for each of them.

Alex takes his while his other arm rests over Calli’s shoulders before his hand clamps down on mine.

“Love you, man,” he says, making my breathing falter as my eyes collide with his.

The second Calli slips her beer from my hand, I automatically wrap it around her bare thigh, needing the connection with her and totally forgetting that we have an audience.

“You can say it, you know. It won’t make you any less scary to admit you love him too.”

“And it won’t make you weak to say the same thing to your girl, either.”

“When exactly did this turn into a therapy session?” I mutter, ripping my eyes from Alex’s and taking a pull on my beer.

“It’s far from that, man. It just fucking normal when you’re hanging out with family.”

“Family,” I mutter.

“Yeah, I mean, if you’re gonna steal Calli as yours, then I guess I can cope with her being my sister-in-law.”

The beer I’d just poured into my mouth sprays from my lips in shock.

“What the hell have you been telling him, Angel?”

Both of them look at me seriously for two seconds before they fall about laughing.

“Don’t worry, devil boy. It was nothing to do with us getting married, so you can chill.”

Pain twists up my insides as my heart damn near rips in two.

“I’d marry you tomorrow if I could,” I confess.

You could hear a pin drop in the seconds that follow my statement.

Needing to break it, Alex finally barks out a laugh. “You lot are all fucking insane, you are aware of that, right? It’s like everyone moved into our building and suddenly turned middle-aged. We’re eighte—”

“No we’re not,” I point out.

“Ugh, whatever. I’m just reminding you that we’re not thirty either. All this serious relationship and marriage shit is giving me hives.”

“Nah, I think that’s just jealousy because everyone but you is getting laid. Ow,” I complain when he hits me upside the head. “Tell me I’m wrong.” I stare at him with my brow quirked, waiting for him to try to spit some bullshit at me, but it’s not his deep voice that fills the air next.

“You’d marry me?” Calli asks, disbelief laced through her tone.

“I told you, beautiful. If I could keep you, you’d be it for me.”

“You can keep me,” she says, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

“Uh… I should probably leave you to this.”

“Don’t go,” Calli says quickly, reaching for Alex’s hand before he stands to his feet.

“Uh…” He looks between the two of us like he doesn’t quite fit, and I hate it.