Free Daughter of Asteria (The Daughter Trilogy) by C.M. Owens

first
    girlfriend,” I snarl.
    “You were my first girlfriend, and now you’re my first fiancée. Don’t belittle my affections for
    you. Stasia and I haven’t seen each other in over fifty years,” he rebuffs.
    “Does that mean your casual acquaintance relationship is over, or should I be worried?”
    “It was never something I had to end because it was never real. I shouldn’t have to prove how
    deeply I care for you. I long to spend the rest of my life by your side. Please don’t assume any
    different because of my past. You have a past as well, in case you’ve forgotten,” he huffs.
    I pout a little as I mumble, “Yeah, well, I don’t see us having to live in the same house as Jerry or
    Bret. It’s easy to sit on a pedestal and say it’s the same when you’re not scrambling around on the
    floor.”
    His head tilts to the side curiously. “Bret? Who’s he?”
    I roll my eyes as Deacon lets out a chuckle.
    “Just someone from my past we’re not discussing asking to come hang out with us and the rest of
    the Avengers,” I growl.
    “No, seriously. Who is he?” he asks again while setting the paper down.
    “An ex,” I growl.
    “An ex-boyfriend? Another ex-fiancé? An ex-lover?” he rambles.
    I gasp slightly at his prying demeanor in front of Deacon and Camara who are both snickering
    slightly.
    “He was a casual acquaintance,” I mock.
    His eyes narrow at me, and he continues his interrogation.
    “Please tell me.”
    “Why is it so important?” I grumble.
    “Because it reminds me about how very little I know about you in that aspect. I’m curious.”
    I smirk deviously when I see how genuinely this is irking him. I can’t help but unleash a little
    payback.
    “I tell you what, I’ll compile a whole list of every intimate encounter I’ve ever had.”
    “Really?” Deacon says with a stupefied gaze while accidentally interjecting himself into the
    conversation.
    “Okay,” Devin says with a suspicious tone. “What’s the catch?”
    “You have to give me a list as well,” I dare, my devious smirk etching up.
    Devin stifles a grin as he reclines back, and Deacon chimes in with a roaring laughter.
    “It would take him a full century to conjure such a list.”
    I feel a little sick with that tidbit thrown out there, but I haven’t exactly been an angel either. And
    he has lived longer than I have.
    “Touché. This round goes to you,” Devin chuckles as he relinquishes his interrogative tone.
    He pulls out his phone and my stomach knots up. I know he’s about to call one of his exes, and
    it’s absolutely killing me.
    “Hey… Yes, it’s me… It’s good to hear from you too… I need to talk to you about something,”
    he pauses and his face floods red. His eyes dart to mine nervously, and he starts to get up, but I shake
    my head to let him know I’ll fucking kick his ass if he tries to speak to her privately. “No, Stasia… I
    mean really talk… Just tell me where you are,” he grumbles in discomfort for the awkward situation
    he hadn’t fully prepared to undertake. “Okay… See you soon,” he finishes and quickly tosses his
    phone to the table while looking anywhere but at me.
    “I guess fifty years wasn’t enough to calm her casualness down, huh?” I gripe.
    Deacon laughs more - he’s absolutely loving the spat he has successfully provoked- and Devin
    slumps down rather uncomfortably when he feels my eyes burning through him.
    “We’re going to meet Stasia?” Gemma chimes in from behind, distaste clearly lingering in the
    back of her throat.
    “Yes,” Devin replies dryly, his eyes still avoiding mine.
    “And Adisia thinks I’m bad,” she snorts in amusement.
    My eyebrows cock up, and Devin huffs rather loudly to breathe out his agitation for her snarky
    remark.
    “So much for casual,” I scoff.
    “It was casual. Gemma tends to over exaggerate where my past offenses are concerned,” Devin
    growls.
    “She tried to kill me when she met me,” Gemma