Prisoner

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

"I have a problem."

"You don't say?"

"I can't fucking read."

The silence that followed was deafening. I was laying flat across my bed on my stomach, chin resting on my laptop as I watched the little cursor line blink at me tauntingly. When I didn't get a response, I scowled and propped myself up on my elbow to turn and look at Seven, who was leaning back against the headboard of my bed. He'd been chewing on the end of his pen for a solid five minutes and the thing had finally given up the battle. Black ink was splattered up the side of Seven's pretty face and a few stray dots speckled his white-blonde hair.

I wasn't sure what confused him more. The pen exploding in his mouth or the confession.

"How's that taste?" I asked. Seven blinked, then scowled and sputtered for a moment before he wiped his hand over his mouth. I saw the faintest hints of silvery sparkles of magic and a second later, the ink was all cleaned up.

"I'm sorry, you can't read?" Seven asked again for clarification. I raised an eyebrow.

"So I can't read, big fucking deal."

"Four, your wedding is in three days."

"I know."

"Four, you requested the writing of your own vows."

"I know."

"Okay, just wanted to make sure we were both on the same page," Seven said dryly, reaching to the nightstand to grab a scrunchie so he could tie his hair back. I rolled my eyes and rested my elbows on the bed as I watched the cursor blink a little longer.

"Same page about what?" Hadrian asked as he came into the bedroom from the bathroom. His long wet black hair was wrapped up in a fancy towel that clipped into place so he could hold another towel around his tall skinny body.

"Four can't read," Seven said, making Hadrian blink and pull up short in surprise. He was quiet for a moment, then shrugged.

"That's alright. We can help him," he said as if it were that simple, which it sounded like it to me, but Seven immediately frowned, pulling the screen down on his laptop.

"Okay, except I have no idea what writing your own vows entails," he said, making Hadrian cock his head.

"It's quite simple. Just confess your undying love for him in a public setting using eloquent poetry," Hadrian explained, then frowned as he considered his own words before glancing at me. I stared at him.

"Did I mention I can't read?" I asked. Hadrian cleared his throat.

"When I said help, I mean tell us how you feel and we'll just write it for you."

"Yeah, except I'm supposed to read it out loud, right?" I asked. Hadrian frowned.

"I suppose the overseer would do that for you."

"I don't want him to," I huffed, turning back to glare at my laptop. I could see in the reflection of my screen that Hadrian and Seven were sharing curious stares, which made me roll my eyes. I pushed on the space bar and backspaced again a few times before sighing, groaning, and dropping my forehead on the keyboard so I was repeatedly typing gibberish.

"If you can't read, how can you use your laptop so well?" Seven asked. I glared.

"I can read basic shit, asshole, but I can't read like. Big words. Fancy words," I said, then paused and glared at Hadrian, who raised an eyebrow, "Elephant poetry."