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“I—” Sergio got all shades of red. “This is so unfair.”

Of course that was what he’d say. I didn’t add a word. That would mean talking about Tony or my alleged dating pattern, and now everyone was staring at us.

“It’s okay,” Kara piped in, moving off the armchair she’d been precariously sharing with her Domme, Mónica, to sit next to Sergio. “I think you’re very smart.”

Great. So the two of them were joining forces. To be fair, it had taken them a while. I didn’t check, but I bet there was a collective, fond eye roll going around the D-types. Mónica, Erika, and Abel were just as good at joining forces, but somehow only us subs got shit for it when we did it.

That was an unfair thing if you asked me.

We couldn’t even have María backing us up today because she’d had a family thing today. Then again, it was a fifty-fifty kind of deal with her and her switchy ways.

The primal players were working, so it was just the two Littles, Cece, Eli, and me. Eli hadn’t moved from Erika’s side, though, and they didn’t really do anything that put them in direct opposition of Erika or any of the Domms, and Cece was not her usual self, so… it was just me and the two Littles.

We were screwed if they set their minds on something.

Sergio had brat tendencies—I’d argue I was more of a brat than he was—but he was good at getting himself in trouble, not out of it.

“Whatever.” I shook off the thoughts involving possible kinky shenanigans. “It’s different.”

“What’s different?”

I scowled at Sergio. “I thought we weren’t talking about him.”

“You’re the one who keeps saying that,” he quickly rebuked. “Just because I think there’s something wrong with your eyes, or whatever sense makes you attracted to him, doesn’t mean I don’t support you.”

I scoffed. “Wow. Yeah. I feel the support pouring in. Thank you, love.”

“Don’t do that dry bitchy voice with me!” Sergio swatted at my arm. “I’m serious. You can talk to me.”

“I know I can.” I sighed. It was hard to explain, and the fact that all eyes were on me wasn’t making it any easier. “It’s just weird.”

“Why?”

“I mean…” Kara spoke before I could. “I know you’re upset about it, but I get where Jaime’s coming from. You have a history with Tony. A trauma-filled one.”

Sergio huffed. “Why do all of you insist on throwing that word around?”

“Come here.” This time it was Abel who spoke up. “Now, little bird.”

The urgency probably had to do with Sergio’s watery eyes. His emotions were always a smidge closer to the surface compared with the rest of the world who didn’t basically live as a Little 24/7.

My shoulders went down the second he was off me. Guilt swirled in my gut the way it always did when he got like this. I just wasn’t great with overly emotional stuff. Or mildly emotional stuff, really. Biting people’s heads off and using bravado as a love language was more up my alley.

I really was a terrible friend.

“You really like Tony?” Kara snapped me from going down that particular rabbit hole. She joked that all of us were oddly amazed by her blonde hair because it wasn’t common in Spain. That was part of it, but her exact shade of blonde was just so pretty. “And he’s good to you?”

I gulped.

Not dealing well with emotional stuff included my own emotional stuff.

“Yeah.” It felt wrong and right to say it. It was too soon, too daring, but… it felt like I was speaking the truth. “He’s good. And he doesn’t mind me calling him out on shit.”

“Really?” Kara tilted her head to the side, her lip gnawed between her teeth. “He always looks so intimidating.”

“He is.” I smirked. That was part of the appeal. “Intimidating isn’t a bad thing.”

“You’re weird.”