Another day passed and it was evening when a knock came on the door of their cabin.

Cage opened the door to see Angelina standing on the other side.

“It’s time to take a break, bunnies!” she screamed. In the background, Cage saw Stephen and Jared carrying liquor and food towards the garden-like space.

“Katherine!” he called, feeling slightly embarrassed. With that, he walked past Angelina, giving her a small nod and moving towards the guys to help them. Angelina scurried in to find Katherine and grabbed her hand.

“Come out. We’ve been here three days and no one picked up my calls!” Angelina sounded a little angry. Katherine snickered as she walked out. They locked the door behind them to find Lily helping the boys set up the barbeque.

“If you’re calling other people while they enjoy bliss, you are failing at your mission,” Katherine said mildly. Seeing the irritation on Angelina’s face, she figured that things were not going according to plan.

“He’s being an asshole.” Katherine raised a brow. “A sweet asshole,” Angelina said in a disgruntled voice.

The same asshole had offered to take her into his family. “What is he doing to piss you off?” Katherine asked, trying not to sound too interested.

“Everything in his power to get me highly strung and then leaving me wanting!” Angelina’s face was beyond red wih anger. “He barely puts on a shirt and when he does, usually he is wearing something so casual that I want to get him out of it. It’s pretty chilly outside, so I don’t know what he is doing!” She stopped. Her eyes glazed over. “He takes a lot of showers and lifts weights. Where even did he get those from?” she sneered.

“What are you wearing?” Katherine asked smugly, gaining a cough from Angelina.

“Some nightwear. Nothing risque.” Angelina’s definition of risque was very different. And Stephen and she had amazing chemistry, so it must have been hard to keep their hands off each other. Katherine knew that Angelina was trying to break the man, but she had an inkling that Stephen was not giving in to prove a point. It was as if taking Angelina would make him lose the battle. He probably wanted to show that he wants her more than just for sex.

Katherine could appreciate that thought.

“I can’t even tell him. I feel like we are in a war, seeing who breaks first.” Angelina was visibly distressed. And what she had said was definitely not the case.

“So, you’re not having fun?” Katherine asked, wanting to keep the conversation light. Heavy conversations about emotion never floated well with Angelina and she might lash out. One never knew her reaction.

“It’s fun because we are playing a game. But you know how long games frustrate me.” Yes, Angelina lost interest very quickly. “I even pulled out my trump card. When I heard him walking around, I pulled out my vibrator and switched it on. I know he heard it!”

“Did you moan like a pornstar?” Katherine snickered.

“Yeah. I feared God would burn down the cabin because of how sinful I sounded.” At least Angelina sounded mildly embarrassed.

“Did he retaliate?”

“He watched tasteful porn in the living room,” she said blandly.

Yup, these two were made for one another. “How did you react?”

“I wore a babydoll and just sat beside him. He didn’t even look my way.” She looked baffled. And Katherine would have been too. Did she need to have a talk with Stephen? How far was too far? Angelina was plagued with insecurities about how she looked even though she was a model and the more Stephen remained unbothered by her charm, the more puzzled and aggressive she would become.

“He’s playing hard to get,” Katherine told her soothingly. “A slow flame consumes all.”

“It’s also easier to stop it,” Angelina groaned.

Katherine looked at her friend carefully as she thought over the words she was going to say. “Have you wondered why he is doing that?” Angelina turned to her with a curious look. “Maybe he wants more than just casual sex,” Katherine said with a shrug.

“He has a week to ** me seven ways until Sunday. What more could he want?” Angelina rolled her eye.

“He offered you his family. Surely, he just doesn’t want sex. He wants a relationship with you. One that lasts for really long.”

‘Get this through your thick head, you dummy!’ Katherine wanted to scream at her friend.

Angelina’s expression softened. “Nobody has offered me that or made me feel wanted apart from Lily and you.” Then she scoffed. “If he wanted more, he would have told me that he liked the way I look or something.”

And there was the problem. Stephen had confused her by prancing around without his shirt on and watching porn in front of her, not paying her attention.

“I think a conversation about your emotions would be good,” Katherine suggested. Her words were met with a skeptical look. “Cage and I confessed to loving each other. We discussed what hardships we would face.”

“That’s great,” Angelina said, looking stunned for a second before her expressions melted into warmth.

“I know you don’t like to be emotionally invested. But I really want you to have something similar.”

“I have a career to think about. Love is not meant for me.” There was another wall that she had put up for herself.

“Ah, yes. But have you wondered how people juggle careers and families? You need someone to fall back on, be it a friend, romantic partner, or parents. You’ve had us, your friends. It would be okay to add another person, right?” Katherine wondered if she was making any sense. Her words seemed to have made Angelina think and that is all she wanted. For now.

They looked back to see that everything had been set up, from garden chairs to the drinks. They slung forward and greeted the others.

“Are you guys hungry?” Lily asked. She was already placing the food in the barbeque. We nodded.