Page 446 of Once Upon a Fable

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THIS WASN’T THE HOMECOMING I’d envisioned.

I’d pictured happy hugs, a few relieved tears, and a couple of tasteless jokes about my affinity to disappear because rocks were more important than my brother. Instead, I had one man doing his best not to come across as threatening even though he looked like a bear standing in the corner with long hair and a scruffy beard, and another who looked as if he was two seconds away from grabbing a knife and stabbing that bear in the heart.

Belting my robe tight so I didn’t flash inappropriate leg or cleavage, I made my way to my couch and sat down. My eyes scanned my cute little house, noticing that it was spotless. All the mess of last night was gone. The only thing out of place was the pillow beside me, hinting Kas had slept here last night. Oh, and of course, the shattered TV and a couple of framed prints Katie had given me—thanks to their early morning fight.

I grabbed the pillow and placed it over my legs.

It was still warm from Kas’s head.

Had he slept okay...before Josh woke him?

I should’ve offered him an alternative to the couch. But then again, I had no other options, seeing as I only owned one bed, and the other bedrooms were extensions of my work and exercise regime.

“Come here, both of you.” I patted the couch and pointed at the opposite chair that matched my ivory suite.

Kas moved first, eager to repair the situation, not because he felt bad for my brother but because he loved me and wanted to fix this to makemy life easier.

I gave him a smile for that. I would’ve given him a kiss too, but Josh hadn’t taken his eyes off me since I’d entered the living room.

Kas sat beside me, his fingers seeking mine and curling tight. The spark between us hadn’t faded in the weeks we’d grown closer; if anything, it’d increased until it hummed and throbbed instead of just crackled with power.

There were layers between us now.

Layers of heart connection as well as lust. Foundations of friendship instead of the hollowness of strangers.

“If this is the friend you mentioned on the phone, Gemstone, then you and I need to have a serious chat.” Joshua reluctantly left the kitchen and went to sit in the chair opposite the couch. “Did you seriously drag a rabid stray back from the national park with you? Is he even housebroken?”

“Stop that.” My tone went sharp. “I know you’re angry and pissed, but it doesn’t give you the right to be cruel.”

“Not being cruel. Just stating the obvious. Did you lose your shaving kit in the woods, buddy?” Josh wrinkled his nose, peering closer at Kas. “Is that aleafin your hair?”

“Enough.” I tensed. “I’m in charge, and I say that’s enough.”

“Fine.” Josh crossed his arms. “Explain away. I’m all ears.”

The vibe between us prickled with tension and violence. A faint bruise had already appeared on Josh’s clean-shaven jaw, and my poor TV looked as if it’d been a murder victim. A random frown appeared before I could stop it. Would Kas insist on paying me back for that? Did he have any concept of money? Did he know the difference between two hundred dollars and two thousand? What would he try to do to repay a three-thousand-dollar flat screen?

“You okay?” Kas asked softly, squeezing my hand.

I nodded and tore my eyes off the broken TV, focusing on my suspiciously glaring brother. I hadn’t exactly rehearsed this. I’d thought we wouldn’t catch up with my mom or brother until tonight or tomorrow. I understood why Joshua had let himself in to visit early, but he’d caused a complication I wasn’t sure how to get out of.

I inhaled hard, glowering at Josh. “First off, you know I don’t like you barging in before nine o’clock. Just because you’re a morning lark or whatever they’re called doesn’t mean I am.”

Josh crossed his arms. “It’s past ten.”

“Wow, is it?” My eyes searched for my tablet on the coffee table, but Kas must’ve put it away when he’d cleaned. I didn’t have clocks or watches, so I’d have to take my brother’s word for it.

“Thank you, by the way.” I squeezed Kas’s hand. “For cleaning up after my brother made such a mess.”

“Imade a mess?” Josh pointed at himself, his dark blond hair shivering with his speed. “What did I do?”

“You left my place looking like a herd of wild boars were living in it while I was gone.”

“You weren’t gone,” Josh snapped. “You weremissing.I was trying to find clues. The police came. The local neighborhood watch snooped around. The mess was a combined effort.”

I flinched. “I owe you another apology for vanishing, but you owe me one for not putting my things away.”