Expired With Me

Chapter Fifty-Two

Colton

"It's Iris' last few days as being a queen, and you want to spend the time before she becomes a commoner, not by giving her every luxury she deserves, but by slumming it in the woods?" I ask Jonas.

"Yes, brother. This week we are pretending to be normal. And since when do you believe Iris deserves luxuries?" He stops walking up the trail, turns to me.

"Ever since you locked the two of us at the Estate and put a ban on killing each other." He shakes his head.

"I did wish for you to get along." Jonas turns again, continues walking.

"Don't we at least deceive luxury? I'd like to prolong sleeping on a dirt floor for a few more days."

"Colton, in three days I will be trying to convince the country, and the world, possibly Amoria, that I ordered a hit on my own wife. Whether or not it's the truth, luxury is the opposite of what I deserve right now. And for the dirt floor, you got yourself into this mess when you went behind my back to marry Vienna."

"And how did that turn out?" We reach the campsite, putting all our supplies, which we purchased this morning, into a pile. Bently and Noah are already setting up a hammock while fighting over who is first to put it to use. The girls are a few feet away, failing to properly put up their tent.

"Blackwood," a voice says, putting their arm around my shoulder. I turn to Aiden.

"You needed something?"

"Wondering if you would like to switch tents tonight. Leave Noah and the Digamma to annoy each other for once." I take a sip of my water, wishing it wasn't.

"Aren't you bunking with Thea?" I'm surprised my brother hasn't given them a lecture about their morals.

"She's with Anna tonight." I nod.

"Trouble in paradise?" Aiden raises an eyebrow.

"Girls night." I sigh, take another sip.

"I suppose I could use a night away from prison watch."

"Is this normal? Threats, death, using your wives as leverage?"

"Yep. Our wives have only been for the past three years or so."

"What started it?" Another sip of water.

"Iris lived." Aiden cocks his head but lets it be.

"Colton!" Iris yells, laughing. "Come help me teach how to play Kelo Lo!"

"He sucks at that game!" Bently says from the hammock.

"So do you." I shake my head, walking over to join the girls and Noah. Iris and I explain the game, then she happens to beat all of us every round. After a while, I get bored of not being the best and excuse myself to make a phone call. After my third try, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Her number was disconnected, Colton." I hit the tree I'm facing.

"We have three days to find her," I tell my brother. "And we're spending it in the middle of the woods playing cards."

"Even if we find her, that's not enough time to fix everything."

"How are you emotionless right now? You may never see Iris again, do you understand?" Jonas pushes me against the tree, holding onto my collar. Hit me. I deserve it.

"This all started because you went behind my back."

"No, it started when you threatened to torture Vienna."

"So your plan was to make my threat valid? What do you expect me to do when we find her, brother? Let the two of you live happily ever after while I pray that my wife and child are alive?"

"You could at least show some damn emotion, not dragging us from one weekend getaway to another."

"What? And prove myself to be the lovesick fool you've said for me to be for the past three years?"

"Jonas, let him be." Iris places her hand on Jonas's arm.

"Why?"

"Because the person you're mad at is me. Or yourself. Jonas, please. I have three days left with you. I don't want to spend them watching the two most important people in my life fight. Not when it's me you're really mad at." Jonas lets go of me but stays where he is.

"Would you like it to be you I fight with?" He asks, looking over his shoulder. She moves her hand from his arm to intertwine with his.

"No. I want us to act like nothing's wrong. There's no use in fighting. Not right now. Aiden and Thea are going swimming in the lake. They've asked for us to join them."

"I can't."

"You did the other day. Jonas, please." He sighs and lets her lead him away.