𝑻𝐇𝐄 𝑵𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒━━ 𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘯𝘢𝘱

15

we found julian downstairs, watching as karl showed off the new trick he had taught percy in his free time.

"avada kedrava," karl said, looking at percy. percy rolled over immediately and laid on his back, playing dead. julian clapped and karl took a bow, a goofy grin on his face.

"karl jacobs," i said, walking into the living room, "this is why i love you. if you don't platonically marry me, i will cry."

karl laughed at that and pulled me into a quick hug. "i'd make a lot of people mad if i married you so let's do it."

"you can't marry thalia," nick said from behind us.

"why not?" i asked, giving him a pointed look.

"because then you'd live with him and i'd have to clean the house myself," said nick.

"we'll i'm not your housewife," i told him. "you can do it yourself."

a small smile played at the edges of
nick's lip as he said, "you wouldn't leave."

"don't be so sure about that," i replied.

"you wouldn't. if i told you to stay, you would. because you're like my hoe. i own you," he teased.

i titled my head at him and gave him a long look before i said, "nick, i think it's me who owns you. you're my bitch, not the other way around."

"well the sexual tension in this room escalated very quickly," julian commented from the couch. "is anyone else hot?"

i glanced behind me to julian, who's face was turning red, and couldn't help but laugh. "i honestly thought you were about to ask if anyone else was turned on."

"i also thought that," karl added.

any and all tension in the room shattered and we all dissolved into laughter. once everyone calmed down, i fell onto the couch beside julian.

"do you want to go out tonight?" i asked him.

"what did you have in mind?"

"paintball," i said, grinning.

"i'm in," he said.

"is this a date or am i allowed to tag along?" karl asked.

"of course you can come. you're the other love of my life," i said with a wink.

"nick, you in?" julian asked.

"yeah, let me go put on shoes and tell dream we're leaving," he said.

he disappeared upstairs only to return a few minutes later.

"why isn't dream coming?" i asked.

"he's on the phone with his boyfriend," nick replied, searching for his car keys. once he found them, he said, "alright, we can go."

we all rode in nick's car- nick driving with karl in the passenger seat and julian and i in the back seat. once we got to the paintball place, they randomly assigned us teams, leaving nick and i on the blue team with karl and julian on the red team.