Betrayal - Book 3 of Guardians Saga - EDITED

CH 12.2 Movie Marathon Time

She hugged her pillow tight and closed her eyes, intending to drift into slumber. Cale tiptoed out into the living room, thinking he could pray in peace. The soundless stillness of the apartment was an ideal backdrop for his introspection, but he didn't know Alex was silently watching him from the bedroom doorway.

She crept closer until she could see Cale's bent posture and fingers tightly intertwined in fervent prayer, knuckles standing out like snow on his skin. Torn between repulsion with herself for spying and a fierce fascination with this side of Cale, Alex remained rooted in place.

Cale tried to whisper, but urgency made him louder than he realized. "Creator of all, thank you for my brothers and Alex that you have placed in my life. Equip me to love them with a fervency and patience like Your own. Help me desire their good above my own. Drive out my fear of loving so intensely and help me to help Gabe, Rile, and Alex; to be a good brother to them all." The hush deepened as Cale finished his prayer with a soft "Amen." Cale's wings opened and spread, covering his face.

Alex didn't know whether to hug him in sheer admiration or run away in shame that she had eavesdropped. Instead, she crawled into bed and fell asleep.

*

Gabe reached the stairs to Alex's apartment with Rile right on his heels, a constant irritation. With an annoyed huff, Gabe inserted his key in the door and pushed it open just in time for Rile to knock him out of the way as he rushed inside. Cale leapt off the couch where he'd been engrossed in his tablet, sliding between Gabe and Rile to prevent a brawl from starting. Undeterred, Rile darted towards the bedroom door, opened it, and strode in without waiting for either brother to catch up.

"Afternoon, Alex," he said cheerfully as he stepped in.

Gabe and Cale crowded in as well.

"It's time for a movie," Alex declared while sitting on her bed. She handed Cale a credit card. "Grange gave me this for minor expenses. Please hand me your tablet and I'll register for a streaming movie service. Once it goes through, I'll show you how to queue up the movies. Horror movies are forbidden, but comedies, action flicks, and sci-fi are fine."

"I want to pick movies too," Rile said.

"Actually, I need you for another mission first. Could you please crawl under my bed and slice open the box spring by this post? My hidden cash is in there, so you can buy whatever junk food is necessary for a proper movie marathon." Her index finger tapped against the sturdy brass bedpost while she spoke.

Rile dropped to the floor and wriggled under the bed at the sound of 'hidden cash'. The bed creaked and fabric ripped as he emerged, his hands filled with a jumble of crumpled bills. He shoved them into the pockets of his jeans without counting.

"I'm not even going to ask where this came from," Rile said.

"I am," Gabe countered.

"Cash advance from Grange," Alex said nonchalantly. "Most of it was used on your cell phones and takeout food, but I always keep a little extra stashed away. Just in case."

Cale handed Alex his tablet and she patted the bed next to her. "Watch and learn."

Before he could sit down however, Gabe said, "I want to learn as well."

"If he's learning, then so am I," Rile said. "I'll buy the junk food after."

Alex yawned. "You know what? I'm taking a nap now. When Rile returns with the food, we can have a snack and set up the movies. Goodnight and goodbye." She snuggled under the covers, face down, and jammed the pillow over her head, her standard dismissal of the brothers. It had the additional advantage of absorbing her tears.