"Bad day at work?" I ask Leo as he trudged into the garage.
"Why the fuck are people so damn incompetent? You have fucking job, do it! You think it would be easy to follow simple instructions, but no! Apparently it's so fucking difficult!" He says ignores my question as he rants taking off his suit jacket and button up.
"What happened?" I ask grabbing a dirty rag and wiping off the oil grease from my hands. I watch as he walks over to the punching bag hung in the corner of the garage.
"Work." He grits hurriedly wrapping his knuckles.
"Stressful?" Sorren asks as he sketches in the couch he sitting in against the wall near the office.
"No fucking shit." The chains holding the punching bag jingles as Leo's fist collide with the bag.
"Sorry." He mutters glancing up as Leo continues to throw punches at the bag.
"Don't apologize, Sor." Leo grits as he lets out his anger out, each punch becomes more intense and full of frustration causing the chains to rattle.
All three of us owned the auto shop, bought it two years ago, it was our own place to relax or let out steam in our own way. Leo with the punching bag, me working on cars, and Sorren has a couch where he draws and sketches.
Sorren didn't reply, he continued sketching paying Leo no mind, and soon we all followed doing our thing.
"Sorren, can throw me the small wrench?" I nod towards the metal tool closes to him.
I was waiting for him to toss it but he grabs the wrench getting and hands it to me, "Thanks." I thank him continuing fixing up the car and few hours back to the couch.
It was mostly silence for the next thirty minutes, besides the sounds of Leo hitting the punching bag, before his phone started ringing.
He doesn't let the noise distract him from letting out his anger.
The ringing stops before another one started up again, this time from Sorren's phone. Unlike Leo he was quick to answer the call as he sits up straighter.
"Hello?" He answers.
"He's right here."
"He's zoned out, another episode."
"Sure."
"Bye." He ends the phone call.
Leo's aggression towards the punching bag stops and his attention was on Sorren, "Who was that?"
"Atty." Sorren answers.
Leo was quick to grab his phone, "She called." He said looking at his screen, "What did she need?
"Asked why you didn't answer. Said her and Ives are at the penthouse." He answers and I finally lift my head from under the car hood.
"Why'd you tell her about my episode?" Leo asked frustrated.
"I don't lie to her."
Me and Sorren both knew that Leo doesn't want Astryd to know when his anger gets the best of him. He's scared she'll be scared of him; though I think she's the last person to ever be afraid of him.
"You feeling better?" I ask Leo closing the hood if the car.
He shrugs, lifting the hem of his undershirt and wiping the sweat from his forehead, "I'll be good. I just want to go home."
"I was thinking of swinging by you guys' place for a bit." I said washing the grease off my hands.
Leo raises a brow, "Does this visit have to do with a witch?"
"No. It has to do with you two being my friends." I narrow my eyes at him.
"Of course." He nods sharing a glance with Sorren.
I ignore them, changing from my dirty rubbed undershirt to a regular black T-shirt before we left in our own cars.
When we got to their penthouse we walked into the foyer welcomed with the sound of laughter.
"Who is this?" Leo gesture to the man with a lean muscular built, tattoos, and blond buzzcut.
I couldn't help but wonder the same question looking at the man who was shirtless in Ivy apartment when I was returning the trash she left in my car.
The man who was now standing in my friends' kitchen with Astryd on his back and was chasing Ivy around the kitchen as she was holding a plate of dessert.
The three movements went still as if they been caught and, taking advantage, Astryd steals the plate from Ivy's hands after she got off of the blond's back.
"Ha." She gloats sitting on the counter eating the dessert with a fork.
"Can someone answer my damn question?" Leo exasperates, his jaw clenching.
"Please." Sorren mutters to make up for Leo's rudeness.
"Sure." Leo sighs.
The blond turns to us a small smile, "I'm Tyson." He introduces.
"And how do you know Astryd and Ivy?" Leo inquires.
"Work." He answers.
Leo narrows his eyes, "I never seen you at the clinic."
I nod agreeing since for the past three and a half months I've been picking up Bumblebee from her check ups I've never seen this man.
The girls eyes widen slightly and Ivy spoke, "He quit." She exclaimed.
"Why?" Sorren asked.
Astryd sighs in annoyance her head falling forward, "You three, stop interrogating him." She scolds pushing her brown framed glasses up the bridge of her nose.
I shrug, "I said nothing."
She sends me an unimpressed look, "I heard your thoughts." She takes a bite of dessert as Leo goes to his room, and Sorren get a plate of dessert before going down the hallway that leads to the bedrooms.
When Astryd finishes she hops off the counter, putting her dish in the sink, "Come on, Ty. I'mma put a movie on in my room. Ivy, join us when you're done?"
"Yeah, babes."
I walk into the kitchen grabbing me a water bottle and taking a sip.
Ivy gasp lightly looking at me, "You're wearing normal people clothes, feels illegal."
I roll my eyes rubbing my temple, "Whenever I forget you're in the room your voice always seems to remind me with a headache." I mutter.
"I give you a headache, but sometimes it's like you come to see me voluntarily." She tilts her head, and I couldn't tell if it was in my head or not when her brown eyes sparkled bewitchingly.
"And what made you come to this insane conclusion?" I ask standing next to the counter.
"For one, I don't think Alice's food poisoning is suppose to last three and a half months." She shrugs as she cuts a slice of dessert on a plate before sliding the plate beside me.
She was right. Alice is good and well so why am I still dropping Bumblebee off at the clinic?
"If you have a crush on me I won't tell anyone." A teasing smile blooms on her glossed lips.
"Shut up, please. I really want to save you the embarrassment of being wrong." I glowered putting down my water and grabbing a fork as she laughs.
She laughs as if I was joking, as if my annoyance and frustration towards her was completely disregarded. Her laugh was beautiful but was a sledgehammer to my ego.
"What is this?" I take a bite of the dessert, and I almost caught myself sighing in ecstasy at the delicious taste dictating my tastebuds.
"Strawberry Cheesecake." She answers grabbing a bottle of water and taking a sip.
"Who made this?" I ask.
"Me, why?"
She bakes.
"Because I have the sudden urge to vomit." I feign disgust trying to stop myself from gagging by drinking my water.
"Cheesecake isn't for everyone." She saids taking my fork from my hand and eating the dessert herself. With the fork I ate from, and I found myself being attracted to her watching as she ate.
She pauses her chewing her brown irises meeting my hazel ones, "What?"
"You're nauseating." I said.
"Well you're a lot of things but I have the decency not to say them out loud." She narrows her eyes at me.
"Didn't think decency was in your vocabulary." I cross my arms.
"So is asshole." She glares
"Decency didn't last long." I mutter.
"Seems to be short lived with you." She throws back at me before walking around me.
I slip my foot out in front of her letting her trip, and I act oblivious to the glare she sends my way.
I sigh in relief grabbing my water and going to Leo's room and I knock on the door. Astryd opens the door with a small smile before leaving to her room.
I walk in taking off my shoes and laying on his couch, and as I look at one of my best friends I notice something, "You're blushing."
"Fuck off." He waves me off.
"You have feelings for Astryd?"
"You have feelings for Ivy?" He counters.
"Fuck no." My lips curl as I shake my head.
"Can't say the same." He said opening his laptop.
"For Ivy or Astryd?" I ask.
"Atty, obviously." He sends me a knowing look.
"Why don't you go for it? Seems like feelings are reciprocated." I suggest.
"Thought about it, but Sorren has feelings for her too and I couldn't do that to him, especially with what he's been through." He runs a hand over his face.
"Both of you guys been through a lot of shit, but the way I see it you both also found comfort and safety when you guys met Astryd. Am I wrong?"
"No."
"So talk. It might be easier said than done, but it's not impossible." I suggest, and he nods.
"You and Iv—"
"No."
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