4: MEGARA

More than anything in this world, I want to steal this woman away from everyone in this room. Not that anything can or will happen with her adorable little nephew in tow.

“I can babysit the little guy if you like,” my baby sister offered, staring adoringly at the little man on her hip. Seeming to be reading my mind except I would never seriously consider taking her up on it. Not that my Kitty Cat isn’t mature for her age, she is, but the bond between aunt and nephew is not something I would dare try to come between. She’s coming to Inked & Pierced with me, we have time.

“No!” Gretchen was hopefully on the same page as me and not just rejecting me, the way she kissed me earlier led me to believe she wanted to see where this could go as much as I did.

“No, Kitty Cat! That’s not even--” I tried to salvage the situation, not wanting our lovely guest to think I supported my sister’s offer.

“Megara…” Gretchen sighed and shook her head. “You’re gorgeous, lovely, fun and everything--”

“Umm, thank you?” Please don’t be letting me down gently!

“But I’m not giving up my last night with my nephew for anything or anyone and no matter how much it pains me to say this, not even you.” She hid her beautiful face from me while explaining her position and it tore at my heart!

“I would never ask you to! That would be like--” I struggled to come up with something relatable but couldn’t. Fortunately, Kitty Cat had no such issues.

“Like our parents coming to pick me up moments after we arrived at your house, despite having given their express permission only hours prior? Allowing us to have a moment of happiness over the thought of being together only to snatch it away once we believed it would seriously happen?”I had no idea she was still so bitter about that heartbreaking incident!

“Exactly so,” I managed to keep my voice even as I validated her even though I would have preferred to cry and hold her in my arms. Gretchen’s low whistle brought me back to my senses.

“Yeah, it was rough for us both,” I admitted softly.

“Typical overprotective Saunders’ ‘parenting’, if you can call it that,'' Kitty Cat sniffed her disdain, thereby fuelling further disgust and animosity from me towards our parents.

“So yeah, we would never try to come between you and Kit. I think my sister was just trying to offer an option for us to all hang out together tonight and get to know each other better, right Kitty?”

Her nod started small but increased in vigor, “Completely, my sister has a beautiful home, several bedrooms. It would be cool if you would come over and see it, I’m sure Kit would love the pent-house!”

“Pent-house?” Gretchen raised an eyebrow at me. “Do you live in a mansion or something?”

“Nothing so ostentatious!” I laughed merrily. “Just a cabin in the woods with a lot of character.”

“You’d have to see it to believe it, I can’t even describe it and I sneak out there every chance I get now that I live in Anders…”

“Not to mention the part where you’re moving in after school lets out?” I laughed at her. There was no way in hell my sister was returning to Crystal Caverna now that I’ve had nine months with her away from our parents!

“I’m coming over tonight too, by the way,” she informed me sweetly. “So if you two aren’t trying to be… private, I’m happy to chaperone.”

“Just you, none of the girls or your boyfriends.” I lay down my terms, I simply couldn’t cope with their insanity with all I had to have done by dawn.

“Meggie! I only have one boyfriend!” Kitty Cat’s indignant retort had a smile slipping over my face.

“I meant your roommate’s boyfriends, they’re almost always around…”

“Addie doesn’t have a publicly acknowledged boyfriend,” Nique added cryptically. “And we like it that way.”

“I wouldn't let them tag along anyway! Not even the girls, they’d never let me get to know our new friend, and that would be a tragedy.” Is she being dramatic or does she really like Gretchen? Maybe she just adores Kit? My Kitty Cat’s always been good with children… “So no boys beyond this adorable little guy, no worries,” she promised as she ruffled Kit’s golden curls.

“Honestly, it’s the girls that raise bigger concerns. Gretchen, Kit, and I will need to leave early tomorrow morning,” I reminded her. Not as though she could forget, she was house-sitting for me this week, okay okay, she was moving in, whatever.

“And Addie and Annie are not very restful, I get it, I do. Deal,” she nodded her head once, firmly, in agreement of my terms.

“What’s the catch, Kitty Cat, you gave in way too easily,” I eyed her dubiously as I attempted to ferret out an ulterior motive. But this was my Kitty Cat, and she very rarely connived unless she was spending too much time around Caressa Septon. And Cari was spending more and more time at the Nalani’s lately, less on campus.

“What? Can’t a girl want to do anything in her power to make her big sister happy?” Amalia’s innocent question had me flushing for reasons I didn’t want to overanalyze with the hot blonde newcomer watching our byplay so intently.

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“So suspicious,” Nique tsked at me as I heard a door creaking open.

“Why are you still here?” I demanded, wishing ninety percent of my audience away.”

“She’s not,” Whisper Romanov announced her presence with great fanfare, as she generally did. “Ready to get out of here, you sexy bitch?” she asked her fiance as she wrapped her arms around her waist and helped her stand. They had been an unlikely pairing and I admit I had doubts when they started, but Whisp was really in love with my cousin and not the passing college experiment I was worried she might turn out to be. I was almost ready to accept her but then she had to go and ruin it by glancing over her shoulder and asking with far too much interest in Gretchen, “And who is this?”

“My sexy bitch,” I claimed her almost ferally and hoped I hadn’t just scared Gretchen off with my uncharacteristic display.

“What the hell?” She sounded more confused than concerned or scared, I was happy to accept it for now.

“Future wife, this is Gretchen and Kit, they came with Ana’s sister today, but are leaving with Meg in the morning.” Nique’s hand went to Whisper’s chin and she redirected her woman. “Now, where are my kisses, woman?”

“Ugh, more slobbering,” Mellie input with as much disgust as any four-year-old might muster. “Close your eyes, mine Alexsy, you don’t needta sees dis.” She averted the baby’s eyes not that he was looking anywhere but at her. “Girl kisses are so weird.”

“Come along, lovebirds. There are too many impressionable children about,” Addie declared as she survived our extra people.

“Tanks. Addie, you can be my favorite today, after mines Alexsy, of course!”

“Do you have any… dunno, average looking friends?” Gretchen's eyes looked like they were about to fall out of her head, so adorable. I looked around the room, teasing her.

“Doesn’t look like it,” I answered, shrugging helplessly. I do apparently surround myself with beautiful people, inside and out.

“Aww,” Kitty Cat cooed. “Your girlfriend thinks I’m above average?”

I cut my eyes at my sister, willing her to shut up. Don’t scare her off by casually throwing around titles! “Do you want to come home with us?”

“Megara Jane Sutton! How dare you threaten your favorite sister?!” Kitty Cat held her hand to her chest, playing up the situation for all that she was worth.

“Competition between you and The Menace isn’t all that fierce,” I reminded her sternly, but couldn’t hold on to it. I cracked first, giggling madly with Kitty Cat right behind me. The sister between us is some kind of evil creature and not one who we choose to acknowledge if given the option. She’s a hypocrite, a fake, and our parents’ favorite, naturally.

“No contest and you know it!” Eventually, her giggles subsided and she was ready to move on. “Can we go to your house now? I’d like to show off my amazing and successful sister.” If it were anyone else, I’d be worried over how much she was buttering me up, but it was my Kitty Cat, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt. “It’s a really nice house,” she stage-whispered to Kit who she was still holding on her hip as though he weighed nothing. The little guy appeared to be starting to doze off but perked up immediately at Kitty Cat’s words.

“I’d like that,” Gretchen seconded the suggestion before turning to Tahlia. “Thanks for letting us fly with you, Princess, but Kit and I have to run.”

“Thank you for keeping my family company,” Nick expressed gratitude and went in for a hug, only to be stopped by his sister-in-law's loud protest.

“What have I told you about putting your hands on that nurse?” Cagey screeched at him, but she was smiling, what the hell what was that about?

“Geez, everyone wants to bring up that day in the hospital tonight, don’t they?” Gretchen laughed it off and hugged the guy anyway. “I’m really going to miss you guys when you move out here! Did you find anything promising?”

“The Evil One has surprisingly good taste, but I can’t say either way until Tahlia and Alex give their blessing.” Nick and Cagey have a complicated relationship, but it seemed to work for them. Before Nick arrived, Cagey had been house-hunting for the couple and gave Nick two very promising leads.

“Duh, Nicky-Lies!” Mellie was quick to stand up for her brother's girlfriend. To Alex, she cooed, “Alexsy, your daddy can be so dumb, I’ll make sure you don’t end up like him,” she promised, snuggling him closer. From what I know about him, Nikolai Lennox is a good man, Cagey just loves to torment him, and naturally, so does Mellie. You’d think that Mellie was her daughter with Josh by how similar they were. To Josh in looks, and to Cagey in temperament and brand of humor. She’s his half-sister though, not his kid. They met outside of my shop last August after I met her and Ariana redid her snakebites for her. Fun night, I remember feeling the heat between them as I watched through the storefront as he pressed her up against Gabriel’s SUV and claimed her on the spot. Mellie had been in said SUV at the time and took issue with the public mauling. She expressed her displeasure by throwing things at her beloved Joshy in Cagey’s defense before actually meeting her. They’ve been inseparable ever since, all three of them.

“Kali, always a pleasure,” Gretchen went in for a light hug, but Ana recoiled. Weird, she’s not usually like that!

Instead, she took her by the hand and spoke lowly, “Don’t be like Meg, learn my preferred name. Kali was a trainwreck, Cagey was lost, please just call me Ana.”

Huh, I never really thought about her name change in that way, I suppose I could try harder to stop calling her Cagey, to her face anyway… It’s just that as Cagey, she was one of the hottest alternative models in the cosmetic industry and I had a total fangirl moment the first time we met.

“And nice to meet the rest of you, maybe we’ll be able to get back together after we get back from Nevada but before I go back home?” Right, this isn’t her home… but does she really intend to be temporary?

Everyone left the apartment and most everyone climbed into vehicles with the exception of the twins, their men, and the youngest and oldest children between them. Mellie was still clutching her baby to her tiny body, I was stunned she had held onto him for so long. She might be four, but she’s tiny for her age. Poor Nick, he’s never going to get to hold his son at this rate!

If you give me the rental keys, I’ll turn in the car when the time comes and you can just ride with Meg and Mal from here.” Tahlia offered with her hand out.

“Are you sure?” I thought it was cute how she felt the need to double-check. Tahlia nodded and Gretchen gave in. “I guess I’ll move my stuff?” She bit her lip and glanced at me for direction. Right, she has no clue what I drive…

“I’ll pull up to you after more cars clear out, make it easier on everyone,” I offered, not quite ready to start the mad scramble.

Not long after, the necessaries were taken care of and we were en route to my home.