Page 31 of Scheme
“Well, they should go on dates to less interesting places.” He shrugged, totally unbothered, and I shook my head, laughing silently to myself.
I’d never intentionally annoyed Layla at that age, and for the most part, she’d never intentionally annoyed me. I’d been entirely confident in the perfect trust between us.
Until I wasn’t.
“How did you blackmail her?”
“Jules has been climbing out the window at night to go hook up with Taytum by the pond,” Chelsea replied, still working lotion around her neck. “We said we’d tell Mum and Dad if she didn’t bring us along today.”
“There’s that sibling solidarity,” I deadpanned.
“We wouldn’t haveactuallytold,” Asher clarified around a mouthful of candy floss. “We were just threatening her, so it’s really not that bad.”
“You’re a little sociopath, you know that?” I bumped him with my shoulder. “Did Mum and Dad not have anything to say about you two tagging along? With only one alpha between you? An alpha who probably has very little interest in keeping an eye on the two of you, at that?”
“They were kind of distracted.” Chelsea leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper. “They’ve got some seedy private investigator beta over to talk about Calum. He’s been by the house a few times, and Mum and Dad always just want us out the way when he shows up.”
“Is that so,” I muttered. “Any idea what his name is?”
Chelsea shook her head.
“We can find out,” Asher replied breezily, not bothering to keep his voice down.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” I warned. “You can be so reckless you know—”
I froze mid-step as we rounded a corner, finding a collection of standing tables made out of old barrels, and an alpha I really wasn’t in the mood to make small talk with at the closest one, staring right at me, his mouth parted in surprise.
“Holy shit,” Asher whispered. “Who is that guy? He’s staring right at you, Margot. Is he a friend of yours? Alpha bang buddy?”
“Shut up,” I hissed, elbowing him in the gut. I, for sure, was not this disrespectful as a teenager.
I swallowed thickly as Kit ignored the other two people at his table, coming straight for me. Being the sole focus of all that alpha intensity was heady, even if I was still mad at him and didn’t want it.
“Margot.”
Oof. Screw him and his stupid gruff voice, and hot nerd glasses and fitted t-shirt that showcased his even stupider biceps and perfect chest.
“Kit,” I replied, absolutely nailing the cool, calm, collected tone. Look at me, totally unbothered, going about my day with my heat approaching, not tricking anyone into lifelong commitments.
I mentally sat down on a throne and started filing my nails. Un. Bothered.
“I’m Asher,” my brother announced loudly, smiling cheerfully and not picking up the fuck-off vibes I was projecting at all. Probably on purpose. “Margot’s baby brother. And this is one of our other sisters, Chelsea.”
Poor Chels didn’t do well with strangers. She’d gone as red as a tomato, and was attempting to subtly angle herself behind me.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kit replied gallantly, not looking as cripplingly uncomfortable as I’d seen him at other social functions. Maybe he was one of the rare people who found teenagers less terrifying than adults.
“Well, we won’t interrupt—” I began.
“I wish you would,” Kit cut in smoothly. “Only I’ve been telling my aunt and herfriendabout you for the past hour and a half. I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”
There was definitely a note of pleading in his gaze, and I hated that it affected me. Ididn’tlike to see him uncomfortable, but me and my saviour complex needed to learn boundaries.
“I’m a little busy with my siblings,” I gritted out. No matter how good his puppy dog eyes were, I wasn’t about to drag Chelsea and Asher into my lies.
“That’s okay,” Asher said hurriedly. “We’ll just grab that table right there so you can see us. We won’t go anywhere. Well, except to get dumplings. Right, Chels?”
Chelsea nodded vigorously, happy with any plan that didn’t involve making small talk with strangers.
