He pushed me back against the shelves, and I dropped the candles.
Leaning in, I could barely see anything but his broad chest in front of me as he hovered. I tried to control my breathing.
“H
ow about this?” he asked, seething. “Rika is my earliest memory, and I’ve loved her forever. The sun rises with her. It always has. And everything we do, we do together. Everything.” He bared his teeth. “No one judges us, and we’ll roll right over anyone who tries. You got that? Look in the fucking mirror the next time you want to cast aspersions on her character. All you’ll see is your own self-hate and jealousy. What you don’t know about us is a lot.”
I stared right back at him, neither of us faltering, but my pulse was racing a mile a minute now. Would I have minded if Rika had Will in that steam room?
No. I might not have shared her open mind, but I wouldn’t have cared. He was right. It was jealousy.
And it was my problem. Not hers.
Light fell into the closet, and I looked over Michael’s shoulder to see Kai standing there. He must’ve come looking for me.
Michael turned around, but he didn’t move out from in front of me. I reached down and picked up the candles as Kai’s eyes narrowed on the scene. I’m sure it looked bad.
“What’s going on?” I heard a female voice and looked up to see Rika standing next to Kai and looking in.
Oh, awesome. The whole party’s here.
“I was just about to ask that myself,” Kai said, still staring at Michael.
And Michael finally moved aside. “Just setting her straight.”
Kai walked in, and Rika followed, closing the door.
“Are you okay?” he asked, approaching me.
“She’s fine,” Michael offered.
“I was asking her.”
Kai glared at his friend, but Rika stepped forward, placing herself between them.
“You didn’t need to say anything,” she told Michael. “If the situation were reversed, I’d feel just as weird about it.”
“I don’t feel weird,” I interjected. “How’s the nose, by the way?”
She shook her head, giving me a half-smile. Walking up, she said, “I’m not a threat to you, okay? I love Kai, but I’m not a threat to you.”
“I don’t care.” I moved around them. “Let me out.”
“I think you do care.” Michael stepped into my path, but he didn’t touch me. “Real bad, in fact. And I kind of understand. Wanna get even?”
I paused, looking up him, confused. “What?”
Even? As in…?
“What are you talking about?” Rika asked him.
He turned to her, casting a quick glance at Kai. “Kai got you. Why shouldn’t I have her once?”
“You’re out of your mind?” Kai pushed in, inching into Michael’s space. “I don’t share.”
“Since when?” His friend straightened, both walls rigid as they dared each other. “Why don’t you let her make the choice? See what she says.”
Kai looked completely out of sorts. Like he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or fight.