Kisses after midnight (WICKED #0) | ✓

27

IT TOOK THEM EXACTLY ten minutes to break the cucumber in two. Gabriela had looked away for one second and Mateo had whacked it against Jay's head. It may have been a petty revenge, but he seemed satisfied with it. Until he had seen the vegetable snap in two before his eyes, that was.

He was crouched down beside it, cradling the broken pieces in his hands, his head dipped.

"Why are you mourning?" Jay said.

"I lost my child, Jay," Mateo said, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout.

"What did you expect when you threw it at my head?"

"It's your fault," Mateo said," your head was too hard for our poor Bas. He never stood a chance."

"No worries, guys," Sahar said," I'll tape it together."

Gabriela looked at the whole scene confusedly, before shaking her head. "Let's not tape the broken vegetable together, please."

"Do you have a plan?" Mateo said, looking at her with newfound hope.

"Just steal another one," she said as she stuck a pin in the ground," and watch chaos ensue."

Sahar clapped excitedly in her hands at the idea, though Jay seemed like it was all too much effort for what it's worth. Still, he would be helping, she was sure of that. Mateo's reaction was a low whistle, followed by one of his most blinding smiles, that look in his eyes he always had with her. She always got swept away in it, too easily.

"What a woman," Mateo grinned.

The words seemed to have escaped his mouth, because just a second later he looked lost. Their relationship had changed over the course of the last few days, she knew that, but seeing him try to find the right boundaries again was painful. Normally he didn't think before speaking with her, but now it seemed like it was all he did. The casual feeling they had before seemed so far away.

"She is indeed," Sahar agreed then, interrupting the silent exchange between them.

"Yeah," Mateo murmured, looking as if the spell he had been under was broken, his gaze quickly focused on the tools in his hand.

His smile was a bit sheepish then, but he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. Whatever had been running through his mind seemed to have been gone with the movement, replaced with his usual cheeky smile.

"I suggest we go for Chase's group," he said.

"Betraying your friends, huh?" Sahar grinned," risky. I like it."

"What can I say?" Mateo shrugged," I am a man made of mystery and sin."

The look Jay gave him then was so dumbfounded Mateo swatted him on his shoulder.

Gabriela rolled her eyes amusedly. "Mateo, we both know you're only made of honesty and impulsive decisions. Now finish what you're doing and after that we'll stab Chase in the back."

"Sure, Gabriela," he said, a soft smile tugging on his lips," though I must say you wound me."

"Gabriela's being nice," Jay said," I would have just straight up called you an id -"

Sahar's raised eyebrow caused him to stop talking though and he gave her a guilty grimace, before continuing on with the task he had been assigned. In response she gave him a fluttery kiss on his forehead, butterflies erupting beyond the space of her lips, her eyes the kind of warmth you could only find in the sun itself.

"Be nice, now," she said.

"I'm trying," he sulked, though his cheeks were dusted with pink now.