Fallen Angel by K. S. Thomas

because he’s happy to see me. Because he’s not surprised.
    “How come you’re in here alone?” I go and give him a hug. I’m not much of a hugger but he’s family. I’m family. Hugging seems appropriate.
    “You know how those two get. One insult leads to another and the next minute your sister’s pressing him for a detailed account of our sex life. It gets a bit awkward when I stick around for those.” He shrugs and makes a face. He’s cute. Like in a ‘why do all the hot ones have to be gay’ kinda way.
    “Hm. Well, I think I’ll wait until the recounting of your sex-capades passes. How long do you suppose that will be?” I tilt my head to the side, eyeing him curiously. I’m only kinda serious, but I do need to talk to Eda.
    “Well...they haven’t really had a chance to talk since we got back, and it was our honeymoon. So, probably a while.” And then, because this isn’t weird enough, he gets a faraway look in his eyes like he’s remembering...things.
    “Gross. Don’t do that when I’m right here.” I shudder from head to toe. I’m not anti-sex. I just don’t want to feel like I’m in the room while people are doing it.
    “Sorry. Hey, I made coffee. You want a cup? You can keep me company while they’re busy getting all caught up.” He points back toward the kitchen. No Jennison has ever said no to coffee. Ever. Never. Ever.
    “Okay. But I don’t want to hear about your penis on penis lovin’. We hardly know each other well enough to get that intimate.” Although we’re getting there. Won’t be long and I’ll probably be as bad as Eda. But I don’t say that. I just follow him out of the room and toward the coffee maker.
    “True that. Let’s stick to the basics then. For instance, is it safe to say you have a sweet tooth like your sister?” He cocks his brow as he pours me a giant cup. Apparently sharing a sweet tooth with my sister isn’t the only assumption he’s making. And he’s right not to.
    “That would be very safe to say.” I rest my elbows on the counter and lean my head into my hands.
    “I thought maybe.” He chuckles softly and I totally get what Royce sees in him. He’s lovely. And I can say that as a completely non-expectant observer.
    Then, I fall even more platonically in love with him when I watch him add Nutella to my mug while the milk steamer thingie is still doing its thing and I can tell from where I’m sitting something magical is happening between the coffee and the Nutella like nothing I’ve ever witnessed before. And I’ve had my share of coffee and Nutella combos. “Oh, now I see why Royce rushed you to the altar. It’s true what Eda says about you. You’re like a coffee God.”
    “Try it first. Then, you can give me whatever title you like.” He hands me the cup. It smells freaking amazing. I’ve been missing out. Seriously. All this time, Ava’s been pushing me to stay in school, she was really just hogging all the good coffee. And I’m going to call her out on it as soon as she gets done talking man on man sex with Royce.
    “You’re amazing. I mean it. If I was at all equipped to steal you from another man, Royce would be in deep shit right about now.” I close my eyes and take another long sip. Tasty .
    “I don’t know if I find it comforting or unnerving that you’re just as weird as your sister.” He’s laughing, so I’m not offended. That, and it’s not the first time I’ve been told this.
    “Well, if you were a mentally stable and emotionally healthy individual, I would tell you to go with unnerving, but you married into this circus, so clearly you’re neither.” I smirk, but my mug is still attached to my lips so I doubt he can tell.
    He laughs out loud either way. “Touché.” His own cup of coffee in hand, he leads the way over to the kitchen table. Royce has some of the most comfortable chairs I’ve ever seen in someone’s kitchen. Scratch that. They are, in fact, the most comfortable chairs.
    “So, now