“What are you doing here?” Matt asked when he came downstairs the next morning and found Vivyka in the living room.

It was Sera who answered, “She’s coming with us.” She went to him and touched his arm, smiling up at him reassuringly. “We’re all friends now. It’ll be good.”

Vivyka gave him a tight smile. “Yep. Friends.”

Matt raised a brow. “What’s so important to you that you’d stand being around me?”

“Brex,” she answered simply. “For a chance to meet the party god himself, I’d put up with worse than you.”

“There’s worse?”

She didn’t answer.

He pulled Sera into his arms. “When are we leaving?” he asked, then kissed her forehead.

Vivyka looked away.

“As soon as Tess and Ayden get here,” Sera answered. “I already packed for you.”

He pulled back enough to look down at her, his brow wrinkled. “You did?”

“Yes.”

He stared at her for a minute, she did that a lot, just did things for him, though he never asked her to. He remembered a conversation he had with Ayden once regarding Tess. “Why do you do that? Do everything for her?” he had asked him. “Because I like to,” Ayden had answered. “I love her.”

Matt continued to look into Sera’s adoring eyes. It was such a small thing, but it meant a lot, it stirred something in him. He kissed her. “Thanks,” he whispered against her lips.

“You’re welcome,” she said, kissing him again.

“Oh good, they’re here,” Vivyka said with relief as they heard Tess and Ayden talking outside. She grabbed her bag and asked impatiently, “Can we go now?”

Sera nodded and Matt grabbed both of their bags. She smiled sweetly at him in thanks.

—————

Their journey to Halimi was actually pleasant. Tess continued to tease Matt, but it wasn’t goading anymore. Her words were meant to make him laugh, not to make him angry, and both Sera and Ayden were thrilled with the change. They spared each night, but it was with weapons now and no one was upset. There seemed to be a new respect between them and a real bond of friendship. Everything was put behind them now, letting their relationship be light and playful.

They camped instead of staying in towns. Too many people knew Matt in these parts, and they didn’t want any trouble. Vivyka wasn’t happy about missing the fun that towns offered, but she kept quiet since she was happy to be able to come with them to see Brex. She distracted herself by talking to Ayden, letting him tell her about magic, and other things he studied. Not that she was interested at all, but it was better than nothing, and Ayden loved every minute of it.

On the night before they reached Halimi, they were all sitting around just after sunset. The conversation had died down so that the only sounds were some birds and the rushing water of the Soran River in the distance.

Vivyka frowned as she looked for her matches; she swore she had put them in her bag. She could ask Matt for a light but stubbornly she refused to, she was trying her best to ignore him, not that ignoring him was ever completely possible. She glanced over at him then, wearing just that stupid sleeveless jacket and showing off his gorgeous body. Why did he have to do that? It was just mean.

Matt looked at her and she quickly pretended to be staring at a rock on the ground that was in between them. Why didn’t they have a fire tonight? Who cares if it was warm and they could just have sandwiches for dinner. She needed a light, damn it.

He finally noticed the cigarette in her hand and pulled out his lighter for her.

“I’ve got it,” she told him shortly and returned to searching her bag. Why did this thing have to have so many pockets?

“We’re going to bed,” Ayden suddenly announced. Tess was snuggled beside him, kissing his neck. “Long day,” he mumbled as got up and pulled a grinning Tess with him.

“Yeah,” Tess agreed. “Need lots of—”

“Sleep,” Ayden quickly finished for her.

Tess leaned closer to kiss his jaw. “Or something.”

Red faced and smiling, he led the way to their tent.

Sera leaned back against Matt. “They’re so cute,” she said when they were out of earshot.

Vivyka smiled too as she kept searching for her matches. “Poor guy’s been waiting forever. Now I wonder how he keeps up.” She chuckled. “I think she might be even more insatiable than I am.”

Matt huffed a small laugh. “Not sure that’s possible.”

Vivyka didn’t know whether to smile or frown. She knew that Matt had a hard time watching his mouth, and before Sera she didn’t think he ever thought to, perhaps he still didn’t. “You shouldn’t say things like that with your girlfriend right there,” she pointed out.

He just shrugged while Sera seemed unfazed.

Vivyka said nothing as she opened another pocket. Something fell out and she picked it up off the ground. Her breath caught as she held a delicate silver necklace with a single tear-shape ruby. It was from three years ago, left in one of the many pockets, forgotten. She had hidden it there. Since she never went anywhere, she figured it was a place she wouldn’t look. For some reason she hadn’t been able to get rid of it. Ridiculously she blinked back tears. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the memory played through her mind, still so vivid. It had been near the end of her relationship with him...

“Does it look good?” Vivyka asked him, holding up a necklace with a few little diamonds on it.

Mathias gave a smoky huff. “Not on you.” She frowned at him and he chuckled. “You’re too gorgeous, how’s anyone going to notice something so plain on you?”

She grinned and put it back in the glass case. “Well look who’s being all flattering today.”

“I don’t flatter,” he told her flatly. “It’s just the truth.”

“Well then, is there anything here that’s worthy of me?”

He took a drag of his cigarette and glanced around. Finally, he nodded to another case. “The one in the middle there.”

She followed his gaze. “Oh, I like that.” She opened the case and took it out. “You have good taste,” she said as she put the necklace on. “Well, you did pick me.” She smirked as she walked up to him.

He touched the ruby, turning it between his thumb and finger for a moment, then grabbed her chin. “I like beautiful things and I only have the best,” he stated, then kissed her. “Come on, I’m sick of shopping. Let’s go show you off.”

She smiled widely in response.

“And you’re definitely dancing in that,” he told her, looking down appreciatively at her new tight, black leather dress.

She chuckled. “I have a feeling you’re gonna have to buy me a new one tomorrow.”

He played along with a smirk, “And why’s that?”

“Because I know that look. I don’t think my dress will last the night,” she said with anticipation in her voice as she turned to leave, knowing he was watching her backside as she walked away.

“Might not last through dinner,” he said huskily.

Why—after three years, after all the horrible things he had done, after all the hate she now felt for him—why did those memories make her feel such a yearning. For so long she had missed him. Regardless of the abuse, she had almost gone back so many times because she missed him when he was like that. She missed his smile, his laugh, when he was nice to her, and really, that had been most the time.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She couldn’t help glancing at him. He was already looking her way. He had seen the necklace and now met her gaze. He remembered too, though his expression told her nothing else. Was it a good memory for him? She inwardly groaned at herself. Who the hell cares, she grumbled silently.

In a sudden surge of anger at her own stupid thoughts and feelings, she threw the expensive necklace as far as she could into the nearby field. She shot him a look that said take that! As if he cared. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at herself, she got up. “I’ll be back,” she said to Sera and went to drop her unlit cigarette on her bag. But there were her matches lying on the ground; she had been sitting on them. She grabbed them and stormed off.

—————

They reached Halimi as the sun started setting and entered the Coral Tavern. The twins weren’t there yet, so they decided to have dinner while they waited.

“Mathias,” A burly man behind the bar growled when they stepped up to order. “You still owe me.”

“How much?” Sera asked.

The man looked at her and smiled. “Forty-two… gold.”

Matt reached over the bar, grabbed the man’s shirt roughly, and pulled him closer. “Do you think that I’m stupid or that she’s gullible?”

The man looked back and forth between the two of them. “I… she’s gullible.”

Matt punched him. “Wrong answer.”

“Matt, it’s fine,” Sera said quietly.

“So?” Matt asked, ignoring her.

“You—” he started.

Matt punched him again. “Wrong answer.”

Sera glared at her snickering cousin. “What?” Tess asked. “It’s was obviously a trick question.”

“What’s going on here?” a city guard asked as he walked up.

Matt let the bartender go and turned around.

“Oh, it’s you,” the guard said with an annoyed sigh.

“Miss me?” Matt asked dryly.

“Yeah, like a dagger in the chest,” he told him, then looked at the bartender. “He causing problems again?”

“Yeah, won’t pay his tab,” the bartender said, rubbing his sore jaw.

Tess hopped onto the bar, grabbed the man by the shirt, and drew back her fist. “Tell the truth.”

Matt laughed. “Have I mentioned I like her?”

Tess flashed him a smile then returned to glowering at the bartender.

“Okay,” he grumbled. “He only owes thirty-two.”

Tess pulled her arm back further.

“Fine, twenty-six.”

Sera handed the man some coins. “Here’s ten.”

“Ten!” he said in outrage and Tess’ fist moved another inch.

“Tess, its fine,” Sera told her, then looked straight into the man’s eyes. “I know you’re lying to me, so you’ll get ten. And if you’re nice we’ll still buy dinner here,” she told him, her voice firm but very calm, much like her father’s.

“How do you know if I’m lying?”

“She’s half Woodlander and a healing cleric,” Tess told him, lowering her fist and letting him go.

“Oh, sorry,” the man said to Sera.

Sera nodded her acceptance.

“So, everything okay now?” the guard asked.

“Yeah, sure,” the bartender muttered.

After they ordered and sat down at a table against the back wall, Sera rubbed her face and sighed. “What’s wrong?” Matt asked.

“That whole thing could have been settled simply,” she told him. “There was no need for violence.”

“Mathias doesn’t know how to settle anything without his fists,” Vivyka muttered.

“Maybe you’d like to screw him instead,” Matt shot back thoughtlessly.

“Oh, I’m the slut?” she asked with an incredulous laugh. “Like you should talk, at least I don’t take on three at once.”

His eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”

She scoffed. “Guess I saw more than you thought.”

His expression turned thoughtful while Tess frowned at her. “He was cheating on you and you stayed with him?”

Vivyka looked like she realized she had said something wrong. She stood abruptly. “I’m gonna go check on our food.”

As soon as she was gone, Sera eyed Matt. “Are you surprised she followed you?”

“No.”

“Wait,” Ayden said. “You knew she was watching…?”

Matt gave him a look that clearly said he wasn’t getting into it.

“Why were you surprised then?” Sera pressed.

“It’s nothing,” he said dismissively.

She frowned. “Tess could get me a drink, please? I’ve decided I’d rather have cider instead of water.”

Tess rolled her eyes. “Sure, come on Ayd,” she said, pulling him with her.

“Tell me,” Sera said when they were gone.

“She only followed me once when we were together,” Matt told her. “And there were no other women while I was with her. What she’s talking about happened after we stopped dating.”

“The three…?”

He nodded and sighed at her frown. “Sorry, more stuff you don’t need to know about.”

“No, I’m fine. I just can’t figure out how that works. I mean… at the same time?”

He groaned as he took out his silver case. Sera was so good and sweet, it just felt wrong somehow to talk to her about things like that. He was glad the memories the justice cleric hadn’t shown her too much of those kinds of things. “Don’t worry about it, Angel.”

She let it go. “So, Vivyka was following you after you broke up?”

He lit a cigarette and nodded again.

“When did that happen, with the three women?” she asked.

He gave a smoky sigh. “I don’t know which time she means,” he admitted, not looking at her. “I was in Oraunt the first time. That was maybe six months after she left.” Sera was about to say something but he shook his head very slightly, stopping her as Vivyka came back to the table.