Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 38

"Because I said so." I say. There's no other explanation needed.

Carson's frown deepens. He looks between Axel and me. He tightens his fist, then moves his arm away slowly.

He stops abruptly.

A light bulb or something goes off in his head. He smiles, moves his arm from my shoulder, but quickly takes my hand, grinning. "I see. This is what you want."

I blush. I pull my hand away. "No. I want my space."

I feel Axel's hand brush my other hand at the same time I say that. He pulls away abruptly.

I look at him.

He looks away, his face red. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"No." I put my hands up. "I didn't mean..."

I look at Carson's wide eyes daring me to finish that sentence.

My head spins.

Then Aiden shows up. It doesn't help the situation. He looks between Carson's third coke and Axel's second sprite. He looks down at me and says, "Mountain Dew? Root Beer?"

I don't know how he knows even though I finished those in the kitchen, but he does.

He says it the way you might expect a jury declaring a criminal's sentence. This is just like the time I spilled the beaker on Thursday. This boy won't let me live.

But once again, I don't have to defend myself to him. "They tasted great," I say.

He looks right over me. "Why did you give her soda?" he asks his brothers.

"I got it myself," I say, but he still waits for them to answer. What's his problem now?

They look between each other. "It's a party Aiden."

"So if I poison you right now, it won't affect you because you're at a party?" he asks.

"Excuse me?" Carson booms.

Axel puts a hand up in between his brothers, holding Carson back. "We did consider her health, Aiden. It's not like we gave her anything serious. It was just soda."

"It still affects her differently." The look in his eyes. "If she dies..."

My eyes widen. Dies? From a can of soda? I'm about to say I choose what I drink, it's not like I'm some child being hand fed, but Carson beats me to it.

He steps closer to Aiden, moving around Axel's only line of defense. "It was one drink."