his white shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a thin white undershirt beneath it. My throat goes a little dry, the shirt is tight, hinting at his body underneath. His belt is undone, but his dark pants are still fastened. He looks around the room, a look of disapproval on his face, his mouth tightening. I scan the room looking for what he’s seeing, but I don’t find anything out of place with the exception of the added bed. It’s made up in the same dark sheets and a heavy gray comforter, just like the ones on his bed.
Ares draws my attention when he clears his throat, holding out a long black garment bag. I reach for it on instinct. It’s heavy, my arm droops with the weight. Repositioning my hold, I use both hands. “This stuff is for you,” he says with his arms folded behind his back and his feet spread wide apart.
“Is this my laundry?” I fold the bag over my arm and pull the zipper down. What’s inside isn’t mine, not even close. “I think my stuff got mixed up with someone else’s.”
“No, everything in there is yours, it’s just not your laundry.” Ares doesn’t take his eyes off me, he’s waiting for my reaction.
“If it’s not my laundry, then how could it be mine?” I toss the heavy bag on the bed and turn to face off with him again.
“It’s yours because I said it was,” Ares challenges, an eyebrow raised.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” My hands go to my hips, “I wasn’t aware that the mighty Ares had decreed it so.”
The corner of his lip tips up, but he schools his features immediately. “You need a few things, I provided a few things. That’s how it works.”
I tilt my head and open my mouth, my finger tapping the side of my head. “Oh, I see how you think this is going to work.” Stepping in his direction I add, “I don’t need handouts.” My voice goes from mocking to anger filled.
“It isn’t a handout,” Ares grits out between his teeth.
“Then what exactly is it? Are you trying to say you don’t like my clothes then?” Milo makes a choking sound from over on the bed. He pounds his hand over his heart a few times, clearing his throat.
My attention back on Ares, I begin tapping my foot. He raises his chin. “Not particularly, no. I don’t care for your clothes.”
Milo adds a loud groan, not even trying to mask that he’s reacting to Ares’s comment.
“Well, I’m so sorry I don’t live up to your standards Mr. Costa, but we all aren’t afforded the luxury of a large bank account.” Sarcasm drips from my words.
Ares’s nostrils flare his arms coming out from behind his back. “Well Miss Fallen, that’s not true in your case now, is it?” Dumbfounded I shake my head, of course it’s true. Ares’s face slides into a smug grin. “You see, since you’re part of our Infinity, you’re also entitled to all of this.” Ares spreads his arms wide and spins slowly. I can’t tell if he’s offering himself up, or the house and everything in it.
“Oh no I’m not. Shit doesn’t work like that,” I argue, my arms crossing over my chest.
“But it does. That goes for any Infinity, not just ours. Once my dads found my mom it was the same way. So, you can argue all you want, but it won’t do you any good. If we weren’t trying to keep your identity a secret, you would have already been added to all our accounts.” Ares mimics my stance, his arms crossing over his chest. I note four crescent shaped indents on his forearm. Those are from me grabbing his arm earlier. I want to bare my teeth at him and mark him more. The thought is so foreign I look away. Shocked by my own reaction.
“He’s telling the truth Laura.” Ollie walks back in, much more himself. His steps are slower, and the frantic look is gone from his eyes.
“Yeah, but it’s different for all the others, they probably bring something to the group,” I add, a little of the heat from moments ago draining away.
“You are bringing something to the group,” Milo chimes in.
I look over at him and roll my eyes. “What, a nineteen seventies Winnebago?” I throw my hands in the air looking between them.
“There is that, but I think he’s talking more about what you’re giving to the group. Without you, we aren’t even a real Infinity, you already brought Ares back to us.” Ollie drops on the bed next to Milo. Surprised, and a little flattered if I’m honest, I close my mouth. I can’t bring myself to look at Ares, what will he think about Ollie’s statement?
“Do you need the bathroom first?” the man in question asks, ignoring the conversation.
“No, you go ahead.”
Ares’s grasps the back of my neck and gives me a gentle squeeze. “We’re all in this together, if anyone of us needed something it would get handled the exact same way. None of us are keeping a tally.” He releases me and disappears into the bathroom seconds later.
Deciding not to bother fighting them on the clothes situation—I’m sure there will be much bigger battles to win—I push the sides of the bag open and search through the contents. It’s mostly jeans and t-shirts. I blush when I start pulling the hangers out and find several dainty sets of under clothes tucked away in the back. There are even a couple pairs of silky black pajamas included. I run my fingers over the sleek fabric, it feels like cool water against my fingertips, and they will probably feel amazing on. Ignoring the bras and panties, I grab a pair of jammies and wait for my turn in the bathroom.
Dante and Milo are talking about some zombie show they watch, while Ollie chimes in every once in a while, but mostly he looks like he’s half asleep already. I’m feeling pretty tired myself, so I lean against the headboard and close my eyes. I feel the bed shift a few times as they move around, still chatting easily. My mind starts to wander, it was only a few days ago I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I didn’t have a real future beyond taking care of my mom. Now I have four people in my life who are promising to help me understand what kind of life I’ll actually be able to have, and they’ll be with me for the entire journey. I know I have a long way to go before I truly understand what being in an Infinity means, but I’m excited for the chance to learn.
Now I just need to figure out what happened to my mom, maybe if we find her, she’ll be able to tell more about why she kept us on the move. Maybe we’ll be capable of helping her, so she can feel safe and live a normal life. Inwardly I roll my eyes, when has my life ever been normal? And it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon.
What will she think of the guys? Did she know I had someone out there looking for me? I get a hollow feeling in my stomach when I think about where she could be, or what could be happening to her. I take a deep breath, vowing to find her. Together, with my guys, I’m confident we’ll be able to do it.