Nadine Book 3

26. Tye's Doorknob

I stretch big, and I'm all alone in my bed. I go outside and swing.

Soon, Dipak shows up with a boar. We eat together on the swing.

"Thank you. This is good."

"I'm sorry I've been... I don't even know how to say it."

"You don't have to say anything."

"Yes I do. It's my job to make you feel wanted and loved. Instead, I've been treating you like you're mine and that's all. You might be mine, but you still need love, time, and attention. You're not mine because the bond says so. I want you to be mine because you love me. And I've been treating you so bad. I think we both have. We assume you'll always be ours because we can make purple. And that is so stupid. I don't want you in my bed at night because of a color. I want you there because we love each other and want to be together."

"I do love you, Dipak."

"I love you too, sweetheart. And I am really sorry about the ball. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I should have been there for you. Instead, I completely ignored you. You asked me if 1 thing was pretty. And I couldn't even say yes. I know I hurt your feelings. I could see it in your eyes. I know it's to late now. But you were beautiful. You were the most beautiful person there."

Tears fill my eyes. "I asked Tre if I was pretty. He said I was."

"You shouldn't have to ask either one of us. That's the problem, isn't it?"

I start sobbing and put my face on his chest. He takes the plates and moves them. "I'm still a girl."

"I know sweetheart. I'm sorry for taking advantage of you. I will do better." He rubs my hair for a few minutes. "What happened at the lake?"

"I was hungry. I tried to catch a fish with a pole and couldn't. I went in for 1 fish. I got my fish, but then I got stuck."

"Why didn't you say that before?"

"Because I always mess everything up. Like Tre said, I'm always hurt or stuck or something. I can't get anything right. I'm always in trouble for something. Then it's something else you 2 have to fix or do for me. And I know you don't like it. You both complain, but I wish I could do things on my own. So you guys don't have to do everything for me. I want to stop being such a burden and do things on my own without getting hurt or stuck or needing someone to fix it."

"You're not a burden baby."

"I sure feel like one."

"I promise you. You are not a burden. You never have been, even for 1 second. And s**t happens. Some s**t happens because you're young. Other s**t happens because s**t never stops happening. Like getting stuck at the bottom of the lake. That could have happened to anyone. There was an old boat down there. You fell through part of it."

"I wish I could have got 1 fish by myself."

"What happened with Tre in the kitchen?"

"He asked me what happened in the lake. I told him I got stuck. He yelled about me always messing up. I turned away from him and he grabbed my arm. He didn't know he was using dragon strength. Kane cut his hand off. He seen arm and started crying and apologizing."

"I figured that's what it was. He wasn't fighting back at all when Tye was kicking his ass... f*****g i***t shouldn't have grabbed you at all. What happened before he got there? I know he came over late."

"I sat here with a mixture of Kane, Omar, and Tye off and on. They brought me food. Tye ate with me and we talked a bit. I showed him all the Egyptian stuff and my bowl from the unicorn island. I told him about the camels."

"I'm surprised you didn't tell him about the Egyptian outfits men wear."

"That could be the new black and red uniform."

"No woman... Just no." He shakes his head.

"We were talking about the ball and how I took the doorknob away from him. He very seriously said. 'You used my doorknob to get revenge on Dipak.' Me and Kane busted out laughing." He starts laughing. "He didn't even realize what was funny for a few seconds. It was hilarious. But Kane told him never to repeat that. Then Tre came and I told him about it. He thought it was hilarious too. And then Tre told him not to ever repeat that either."

He sits there laughing beside me on the swing. "That is a good one."

"Don't worry, no one will repeat it around you sir."

He smiles. "They better not."

"I used Tye's doorknob to get revenge on you. That sounds so much worse than it is."

"Yes it does, sweetheart. I don't like it when you say it."

"I won't repeat it anymore either."

He kisses my head. "Thank you. I'll find a way to get Tye back with it."

Kane and Tye are coming up the path with Thora holding swords at them. "I guess Thora is visiting with some hostages."

Dipak kisses me on the head.

I wait until they get to the porch.

"Why have you brought me these hostages?"

"I didn't know where I was going. I made them show me."

"That does make sense."

She nods.

"So where do you live?"

"I'm not telling anyone. I don't wear clothes there."

"I have entirely to much company to do that. And I would really be afraid of bugs then. And chickens pecking me. Fire sparks from the fire."

Dipak nods. "Splinters from this swing right on your butt."

"I like clothes outside."

"You can be naked inside."

I give him a funny look. "But not in the kitchen."

"Fair enough." He kisses me on the head again.

"Anyway. We're going out. We're going to kiss strangers."

I shake my head. "Today is not a good day for that."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not. Tre is in the medical area. Everything has been a mess. I need to fix stuff with him before adding more damage to the mix. And honestly, I don't even want to kiss a stranger. Even the thought is weird."

"NOT IT'S NOT. YOU ARE DOING IT." She points a sword at me.

"No I'm not. You are not taking me as a hostage either. OH, f**k. Now I do have a splinter in my ass I think."

"Tre is unconscious for 2 days. You can try 1 stranger and if you don't like it, we can kill him and pretend it didn't happen."

"I'm not sure if that's how that works, Thora."

"It is tonight. So go do something with your hair and make Dipak get the wood out of your ass."

We all bust out laughing.

"I actually wouldn't mind killing a few people."

"We're going to start on the dance floor, and you have to kiss a complete stranger first."

I shake my head.

"YES YOU ARE."

"NO I'M NOT."

"Yes you are. A complete stranger. I'm going to throw one at you. You can't even say Hi first."

Dipak puts an eyebrow up. "Will you 2 be drinking?"

Thora shakes her head. "Omar says we're not allowed to kiss and drink when we're single. They give us some really weird rules."

"That they do."

Tye crosses his arms. "So when you are not single, you can kiss and drink?"

I shake my head. "No, when we're not single, we're not allowed to kiss."

Thora nods. "But we can drink then."

"But we still can't drink and kill."

"I'm confused now."

"Me too. These rules are confusing."

"Go fix your hair and plan on being in trouble tomorrow because we can't sort out the cluster f**k of rules anymore."

I try to open the door, but it won't open. So I climb in the window. Kane about loses it.

"DIPAK USE THE WINDOW. I NEED THE WOOD OUT OF MY ASS."

I hear him bust out laughing too.

He climbs in the window. "What the hell is with the door woman?"

"Omar did something to it. Now it's magically jammed. We use the window when it does that."

He shakes his head. "Where is the splinter?" I lift the dress and show him where it hurt. He gets the splinter out and I comb my hair. Then I put on a human dress.

"I really should stay home and take a bath."

"Kiss the first stranger you see. Then you can drink if you don't want to do it anymore. And Thora will stop because you kissed one."

"That's a good idea. So, I can single drink if I don't kiss?"

He scratches his head.

"I'd rather do that, and why do you want me to kiss someone? That's really weird. Since last time you grabbed a random girl and kissed her when someone kissed me."

"I want you to do it, so you know you don't like it. I promise I'll behave. I know it's coming. I won't freak out. And I don't feel near as bad as I did last time."

"What if I do like it?"

"Tye will probably rip his head off."

"Well... don't command Tye to rip his head off sir."

"I make no promises on that part."

I climb back out the window. "We're taking my mate to go watch me kiss a random man. This is not going to end well."

"He doesn't have to go."

"I know. But he said he'll get me drunk if I don't like it."

She looks at Dipak. "You have to get me drunk if I don't like it either."

The boys start laughing.

Thora wraps her arms around my neck and I turn to a dragon. Off we go.