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I smile at that because understatement of the year there, but something flutters in my stomach at the idea that Callan listens to my music enough to be considered an obsessed fan.

“I don’t think that,” I assure him. “I think it’s nice. I like to know that my music means something to people because it means something to me.”

His eyes find mine again, and he just nods, looking like he doesn’t know what to say to that.

We’re getting closer to the cottage now, and there’s still something we need to address.

“So what are you going to say to Ares and Tate?” I ask him.

“I’m going to tell them the truth.” He shrugs. “I was worried about blowing up our friendship with this whole thing, but I would never lie to the people I care about.”

There’s so much conviction in the way he says it, like it’s something that really matters to him, and I like that. I like that he cares enough about his chosen family that he wants to be honest with them. I’m realizing that after spending eight years wrapped up in the fallout of a lie, honesty is really important to me these days.

And if I’m being honest, it’s a relief that he feels that way. I am a terrible liar, and the idea of trying to keep this from Ares and Tate was making my stomach hurt. Plus, Ares and I are taking steps toward repairing what was broken all those years ago, and starting our first day of being more truthful with each other by hiding something from him would have made me feel awful.

“Okay, good,” I say. “We’ll just be honest.”

Unless I’m reading too much into it, Callan looks a little relieved too.

We make it back to the cottage without incident, and then tromp through the snow back inside.

It’s so much warmer in the little living room area, and I sigh with relief before shucking off my coat and boots and leaving them by the door to dry.

Tate and Ares are sitting on the couch, watching TV, and they both look up when we come in. I feel a hit of nerves under their gazes. I have no idea how they’re going to react when we tell them what happened. I don’t think Tate will care, considering he’s made it pretty clear that he doesn’t want anything serious, but Ares has been jealous of Tate this whole time. Is it just going to get worse when he finds out that Callan has slept with me as well?

I really hope not, but I have no way of knowing.

Tate looks between the two of us, a frown starting between his eyebrows. “Everything okay?” he asks. “You two look weird.”

“Weird how?” I ask at the same time Callan says, “Something happened.”

Ares and Tate exchange glances.

“Look,” Callan continues. “We went out, and one thing led to another⁠—”

“And you hooked up,” Ares says, before Callan can finish.

I swallow hard. “We did, yeah. How did you know?”

Ares gives me a look. “I know what you look like when you’ve had a good orgasm or two, Brynn. I don’t think shopping in a snowstorm with Callan would make you look like that unless you two had sex.”

I tense at that, waiting for Ares to get mad about it. He keeps looking at me, and something in his eyes softens, like he can tell that I’m bracing for an explosion.

He gets up and comes closer to me, holding my gaze. “I’m not about to go off.”

“Really?”

“Really. I know I wasn’t… great about you and Tate, and I was definitely jealous. I can’t even pretend like I wasn’t. But that was before we cleared the air about the shit between us. And I wasn’t really jealous that you two hooked up, exactly.”

I give him a skeptical look. “Then what was the issue?”

“I was jealous that Tate wasn’t too afraid to admit he wanted you. I know how Tate operates. He probably sat right down next to you on that plane and started laying on the charm.”

That makes me laugh because that’s pretty much exactly what happened.

Ares smiles and keeps going. “I was still trying to lie to myself that seeing you after all this time didn’t make me want you too.”

“I get it. So it’s different now.”