Page 30

THIRTY

SABLE

I ’m fucked.

Emotionally, physically, mentally.

These three have me so tightly bound to them that I’m scared that when they let go, I will simply unravel.

Kai has always been the outsider of the group. I knew his family was part of the elite that attend AGU, but I never knew his connection was by adoption rather than blood. In our world, that changes everything. It’s a quiet truth we don’t often discuss, but it alters the way people look at you, the way they treat you. Bloodline is everything here. Children are born to carry on legacies, not just to fill a home.

So, if you can’t produce an heir by birth, you find a workaround. Kai’s parents found him—a kid with the right look, the right mix of their ethnicities, one who could pass as their own. The whispers of that hidden truth must’ve followed him all his life, and yet, he wears it like armor.

“Mahal,” he whispers, his voice low and honeyed as his lips brush against mine in a teasing smile. The endearment which he’s informed me of means “my love” in his mother’s native language.

I want to sink into it. To let him carry me away into a reality where everything is this easy, where I can believe in the warmth of his touch and the comfort of his words. But I can’t. My throat tightens, dry and filled with an emotion I’m too scared to let free. How did I let this happen? How did I let myself feel this way about them? About him?

Do I love him? Can I even be sure I understand what love is? All I know is that when I’m with him—when I’m with any of them—I lose myself in the sensation of their presence, their touch. And the moment they pull away, the world becomes a suffocating void, like they’re the only source of oxygen and I’m left gasping for air.

I pull back from his kiss, afraid to let him see the panic rising within me. Afraid of giving too much of myself away. I know I’m just a pawn in this twisted game, something to possess, to protect—nothing more than their plaything, no matter what they say to me. I’m not na?ve. I’ve heard their whispers, seen the way people look at me when I walk beside them on campus. Sable Wilson, caught in the orbit of the infamous Four Horsemen.

A pawn in their chess game.

The truth is, I don’t know if I can trust them completely. Every moment with them is a delicious torment. I know, one day, this will end. No one wants something broken. They’ll see the cracks in me, the parts I’ve tried to hide, and when they do... they’ll leave. They’ll discard me.

Kai’s hand reaches out, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. “Sable,” he says softly, “what’s wrong?”

I swallow hard, my eyes meeting his dark gaze, searching for an answer. I want to ask him how he can be so certain, how he can stand there and look at me like I’m something worth keeping. I want to believe him, but the fear gnaws at me, hollowing me out from the inside.

“What if this is all just a dream?” My eyes look up to meet his dark ones. I try to search for the answer before it leaves his lips.

Kai’s eyes hold mine, unwavering. There’s no hesitation, no flicker of doubt. He steps closer, cupping my face in his hands as his thumbs trace the edge of my jaw. His touch is steady, grounding. His lips hover so close to mine, but he doesn’t kiss me. Not yet.

“Then I don’t want to wake up.”

There’s a loud bang as the front door swings open. Both Kai and I snap our heads toward the sound. Silas and Dayton stride in like they own the place—because, in a way, they do. Proud smirks plastered across their faces, Dayton has a case of beer balanced on his shoulder, while Silas clutches a large paper bag, the unmistakable aroma of Chinese takeout wafting through the air.

“We’re back!” Silas hollers as the two of them make their way down the hallway toward us. “And we have nourishment!”

Dayton gives him a side-eye, setting the beer down on the counter with a thud. “Dude. Don’t call it nourishment. Fucking weirdo.”

Silas drops the bag of food next to him, the smell of noodles and chicken making my stomach growl with hunger. I peek into the bag to see containers stacked high with greasy deliciousness. Before I can grab anything, Silas’ eyes lock onto something else on the counter.

“Oh! Cookies!” He practically hurdles over Dayton to reach the baking sheet, snatching a cookie and shoving it into his mouth without hesitation. His eyes roll back as he moans dramatically, crumbs spilling down his chin like a toddler.

I wrinkle my nose in disgust. “That’s gross.”

Silas grins through a mouthful of cookie, clearly enjoying my reaction. “Gross? This is perfection, little devil.”

“Hey, babygirl!” Dayton’s arm slips around my waist, pulling me close and pressing a soft kiss against my forehead. “Got you wine if you don’t want beer,” he murmurs, popping open a can for himself and taking a sip.

“I can drink beer.”

Silas scoffs, wiping crumbs from his mouth. “You hate beer.”

I shoot him a pointed look. “I hated beer in high school. You don’t know the college girl I was back in Lakeview.”

“Oh, yeah?” Kai’s voice is teasing as he steps closer, eyes glinting with playful curiosity. “Tell us more about this mysterious college girl.”

“Well,” I say, grabbing a couple of beer cans and holding them up, “if you really want to know, I think it’s time for a little challenge. Who’s up for a beer shotgunning contest?”

Dayton’s eyes light up with excitement. “Oh, this should be good.”

Silas looks at the cans, then at me with a wide grin. “You’re on.”

Kai chuckles, shaking his head, but clearly amused. “Let’s do it.”

I quickly grab the can opener and puncture the bottom of each can. “Alright, everyone, get in position. On the count of three!”

“Ready? One... two... three!”

We all pop the tabs, tilting our cans back, trying to chug the beer as fast as possible. Dayton finishes first, crushing his can triumphantly. Silas is right behind him, letting out a loud, grotesque burp that echoes in the kitchen. Kai and I finish at nearly the same time, though I’m sure I’m a millisecond faster. My smile is wide as I hand my empty can to Kai, who disposes of them like the gentleman he is.

A cough behind us makes me turn. Levi is standing in the archway, one eyebrow raised as he takes in the sight of the small puddle of beer on the floor from our messy competition.

“Really? Are we Omega Chi now?”

Silas throws a kitchen towel on the spill and uses his foot to wipe it up, then snatches the rag. “A little beer never killed anyone.”

“Right.”

“You in for UNO tonight?” Kai asks. It’s still strange to see them together. For two people who fuck regularly, you couldn’t tell. The way that Silas and Dayton made it seem was that they really have deep feelings for each other, yet they act more like friends than a couple.

“Uno? Really? We’re going to waste time playing a glorified color-matching exercise?”

Dayton pulls me in front of him, his arms draped over my shoulders as he pulls me closer against his body. His breath is warm on my neck as he taunts Levi. “Come on, brother. Don’t be such a pussy. Or are you just scared of losing? Because we all know how you hate being second best.”

I poke out my bottom lip, leaning into Dayton’s embrace as I turn my gaze to Levi. “Please, Levi?” I say, batting my eyelashes in an exaggerated attempt to win him over. I know it’s a long shot—he’s the hardest to crack, always keeping a cool distance—but it’s worth a try.

Levi lets out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair as he glares at me, clearly torn between his annoyance and whatever soft spot he might secretly have. “Fine,” he grumbles, turning on his heel and stalking out of the kitchen.

The rest of us exchange amused glances before following him into the den, armed with the Chinese food.

We settle onto the couch, each of us claiming our spots. I sit cross-legged with my box of lo mein, quietly picking at the noodles while Dayton and Silas immediately start bickering over who gets the last of the rangoons.

Kai sits beside me, his knee brushing against mine as he digs into his food. He doesn’t say much, but his presence is enough to make my pulse quicken. Levi, on the other hand, sits across from us, his gaze flickering between the rest of us with that same guarded expression. He eats quietly, methodically, his eyes occasionally meeting mine before darting away.

As the meal winds down, Dayton leans back, his arm casually draped over the back of the couch, his eyes gleaming at everyone. “Alright, time to settle this. We playing or what?”

Silas grins, already reaching for the deck of cards on the coffee table. “You bet your ass we are. And this time, no whining when you lose.” He nods at Levi, who scoffs in response.

Dayton grins wickedly as he watches Silas shuffle the cards. “Alright, I’ve got an idea—since we’re all so competitive, why don’t we raise the stakes a little?”

Silas raises an eyebrow before taking a swig of his beer. “What’re you thinking, Dayton? Because if it’s just another excuse for you to show off, I’m not interested.”

“I was thinking we could play a round of Strip UNO. You know, like strip poker.”

Kai bumps into my knee again. “Mahal? You up for a little fun?”

“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”