“You don’t respect her or accept what she wants. By the way, I think you’re worse at this relationship stuff than I am, and I almost made a big mistake with Mel, so that says something.” Seth explained.
“And how is what you want different from what we want?” Adrian asked, more angrily than before.
“You just want a play thing. I want commitment.”
This was such an odd conversation to have translated, and she’d rather not have it at all. And even as Seth told them her newest message, she could see Emily getting antsy beside her.
“Why don’t we take this from the street to the bedroom. Hell, if those three want to come along, they can. But this skinny asshole needs to keep his mouth shut!” Sin rose one eyebrow at the group.
“Oh, you must be tired after traveling! Good idea. Our bed isn’t big enough for all of us, though.” Melody said brightly, her eyes shining innocently.
“Mel…” Seth warned.
“But it sounds fun! Like a slumber party!” Mel answered back.
“Something like that.” Sin’s chuckle was full of dark promise as he looked at Sophie.
Was he trying to get back at her? Embarrassing her in front of the whole town?
But no, Sin didn’t have any shame. He was just being himself.
Caleb moved to his wife’s side and pulled her back. “That’s not what he means, kitten.” Cay then glared at Sin. “Could you be any more crude?”
They were not going to all hop in bed together. She wasn’t even going to let the men touch her until they talked. But she knew that she couldn’t just avoid them.
Not when Adrian could make a mess of the town while unsupervised. Already her face was heating and Sophie wanted to sink into the ground.
Where is my invisibility when I need it?
Adrian stood straighter and smirked. “You’re right. I was being much too angelic. Melody, I was implying an orgy which means-”
“Enough!” Emily yelled, uncharacteristically demanding. “Can’t you see that this is upsetting Sophie? She shouldn’t be stressed in her condition!”
“What condition?” Seth, Cay, and Adrian all said at once.
Suddenly all the hostility and ridiculousness were gone.
They all looked at Sophie, questions and concerns in their eyes.
She felt like she was on the spot and she hated it. Hated all the eyes on her. Hated that this would be revealed this way, at this time.
Looking towards Emily, Soph pleaded with the girl to drop it, but Emily wasn’t looking at her. She was facing Seth. “Nothing really. She just has a condition, and it could make her vulnerable.” Sophie heard a car going by, obviously the people on the other side of the street got bored with the conversation. The fewer witnesses the better!
Even as discrete as she was being, Soph could still see the light in Seth’s eyes. The man was always too smart of his own good. And unlike with Emily, she hadn’t expressed the need for secrecy.
“You’re pregnant!” Seth asked, astonished. “Is it theirs?”
Sophie swung back to the boys, terrified for their reaction. They were just as shocked as she expected. Adrian didn’t even seem to be aware he was talking as he said, astonished. “Um… it can’t be. Angels, even Fallen, can’t do that…”
Well, someone better alert the media, because apparently it was possible!
“They can’t? Oh. Then whose is it?” Seth asked, and everyone focused their attention on her.
Soph couldn’t look away from Sin. So she saw when his shock turned to fury.
“Whose?” Thane asked, voice rising, too hard, too sharp.
“It has to be one of yours.” She signed quickly, which Em translated.
“Well, it sure as fuck can’t be ours! We don’t have that kind of stuff in our balls! Who the fuck have you been sleeping around with. You’ve been here for a couple months! Was it so easy to just forget us? You just found someone to replace us? Or more than one someone. Shit! We came here to try and get you back but you’ve already found another penis to your liking!” Sin hissed.
Gosh! Did he have to be so crude? But she could tell that he was hurting. The tone in his voice—and Thane’s destroyed expression—was painful to take.
She didn’t want to hurt them! She didn’t want to make them mad, or crush their feelings. Shoot, it made her miserable to know that she put that look on their faces, that pain in their hearts. She loved them!
Her throat hurt and her eyes stung, but she tried to hold back the tears as she shook her head.
“There is no one else! There hasn’t been anyone! I don’t know how it happened, but the baby has to be one of yours!”
She might not want to be with them, but she had to make them understand. She wouldn’t do something so horrible!
Sin snorted after Emily translated. “And why should we believe you? The evidence is pretty damning isn’t it?”
“Because I love you both! I couldn’t be with someone else! You came here, remember! I didn’t go asking for anything! You told me that I was replaceable. I don’t want anything from you. Why would I lie? Just…” She started, but had to wipe her eyes. Gosh, now she was crying and it wasn’t a good look for her! It certainly wasn’t a very respectable ending! “Just leave me alone!”
And before she could hear her words come out of anyone else’s mouth, she ran.
She ran blindly, not even sure where she would go. All she knew was that she couldn’t look at them anymore.
She couldn’t stay in the middle of town and have her honesty questioned and her heart ripped out. She needed something, anything but that.
If only Annie were here!
31
The sky was darkening
