Alec

by Lagomarsino, Giulia

  “So, you just go around waxing and doing things to each other? For fun?”

  I stared at the other guys, but I was alone on this one. They hadn’t been in on any of these shenanigans before.

  “I don’t know how this shit happens. One minute, we’re just discussing your basic grooming shit, and the next, someone’s dick is out and waxing is happening. Shit happens, right?”

  Ryan shook his head and snatched a towel, wiping the mask from his face. “This is the last time I go anywhere with you guys. Next thing, you’re going to tell me that you all sit around and pretend that you’re superheroes.”

  Cap leaned in close and cleared his throat before lowering his voice. “It was just the one time for a wedding.

  Ryan rolled his eyes. “I should have fucking known.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Florrie

  Alec walked back through the door after his day out with the guys. I had planned to talk with him today, but when I went looking for him, he was already gone. He looked like he had been drinking, but then, he was doing a lot of that lately.

  “Alec, can I talk to you?”

  “Is it about us?”

  I nodded, smiling, letting him know that I was finally ready to put this behind us.

  “Too fucking bad. I don’t want to talk.”

  “What? But I thought-” Something caught my eye and I leaned in closer to look at his face. “Do you have something purple on your face?”

  “It’s alien blood. Yeah, I went and slaughtered me some aliens today.”

  “Don’t aliens have green blood?”

  “Does it fucking matter?” he shouted.

  “Well, I just think it’s really weird that you come home shitfaced and you’re telling me you fought aliens that have purple blood.”

  “Lady, what I do isn’t your business anymore. You threw me out of your life, remember? I’m not good enough to know your deepest, darkest secrets, then you’re not good enough to know about the aliens I slaughtered.”

  I quirked an eyebrow at him. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

  “Well…” He looked off in the distance and swayed on his feet slightly. “You broke my fucking heart. So suck it!”

  He stumbled past me and I put a hand out to stop Craig. “What the hell did you guys do? Why does he have purple shit on him?”

  “I’ll never tell. What happens in Little Springs stays in Little Springs.”

  “They went to a spa,” Maggie said as she walked past.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and stared Craig down. “It was one of the best days of my life.”

  “Really?”

  “Dead serious.” He looked off in the distance fondly. “Best bonding experience of my life.”

  “I thought we weren’t saying shit about what happened today?” Cap grumbled. “None of you can hold your fucking liquor.”

  Knight stalked by, a scowl worse than any I had seen before on his face. “Training tomorrow, and that goes for you too, Florrie. This is your fucking fault. I expect you in the training center at seven in the morning.”

  “But I haven’t been cleared for training yet,” I shouted after him. He turned around slowly and glared at me. “I’ve had my dick waxed. I’ve had a tracker implanted in me. I’ve had fucking mud stuck in places that I won’t tell any lady. If I say you’re going to start training tomorrow, you’ll get your ass there or I’ll drag you out of bed myself. Are we clear?”

  I wanted to laugh at him, but I was pretty sure that wouldn’t help the situation. Besides, getting a wax was never fun. He’d probably be grouchy for a few days. Sometimes it was best not to poke the bear.

  “Fine.” He turned to walk away, but stopped. “And have an actual conversation with Alec this time. He needs to get his head on straight, and he can’t do that when you’re jerking him around.”