Page 158 of Wallflower

Fuck. I hate her.

“You better give us a raise, we have children to support now,” Kyle pipes up from the spinning leather computer chair.

“Yeah, Ripley, kids are expensive,” Shantel drags out the tail end of her sentence, hissing like a serpent.

Ripley rolls his shoulders, not offering her so much as a look. Slamming the door she’s tirelessly trying to slither beneath.

Something like pride swells within me. He’s so uncomfortable, but fighting to not let it bother him. All it makes me want to do is obnoxiously gloat, while slamming my raised middle finger in her face.

Instead, I turn to the table, handing out the cinnamon buns after lighting the candles.

“Why the candles?” Bucky asks. “It’s not my birthday.”

“No, but it is theirs,” I reply, tilting my head in the direction of the sugar glider cage.

“Yes, the hairless rats deserve a celebration,” Ripley groans from my side, hiding his smile as annoyance paints Kyle’s face.

“I swear to fuck, Rip, I’ll shove this candle up your ass, flame first, if you don’t stop.”

“Oooh, kinky. You know pink’s my second favourite colour.” Rip waggles his eyebrows, and I can’t help relishing him in his element.

“Yeah, why is my candle pink, Rose?”

“I thought you’d like it. If you don’t, give it back.”

Kyle pulls his plate inward, turning slightly away from my outstretching hand. “No. I don’t want to be the only one without a candle to blow out.”

“Then don’t complain,” I joke, picking up the roll with the purple candle, and passing it to the evil bitch in the corner.

“Quit giving my girl a problem, or I’ll give you something to blow,” Rip pipes up, and Bucky just about falls out of his chair from shock.

“Did you just makeanotherjoke?”

“Shhhh! Don’t bring attention to it or he won’t do it again,” Kyle whisper-shouts.

“You guys are assholes.” Ripley pulls me into his lap, squeezing my back against his chest. “Flower, they’re being mean to me.”

Who is this man, and what did he do with my Ripley?

“Want me to kick their ass?”

“Yes, please,” he mock whimpers, nuzzling against my skin and breathing deep.

Kyle shoots a look to Bucky, who in turn shrugs his shoulders.What’s he going to do now?

“Pretty sure I could take the whole five feet of you,” Kyle chortles.

“Want to bet?” I taunt, playing along. “And I’m five foot four, jerk.”

“Like those extra four inches make a difference?” he chuffs.

“What are the stakes?”

Leaning closer, Ripley whispers against the shell of my ear, “You know you can’t poison him, right?”

I bat him away without a reply.

“Don’t do it, Kyle,” Bucky pipes up.