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“The state tried to contact them when Mom died, but they wanted nothing to do with me. Called me the ‘child of an unholy union,’ like I was tainted. Can you believe that?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Everything happens for a reason, or whatever positive nonsense you’re supposed to believe in.”

Lukas’s chuckle vibrated through his chest into her ear. She smiled. It was the first time she heard him laugh, and she liked the sound. It soothed her. She unconsciously shifted further into his hold. He tightened his arms around her.

She closed her eyes, focusing on his calm breathing and the slowing beat of rain against the window. “You?”

“What?”

“Family… do you have any family?”

“Oh… yeah, I do, but I never see them,” he said, a note of discomfort in his voice.

“What do you mean?”

“My parents, Helena and Jyrki, travel a lot for business. I don’t even know what they do; they have their hands in so many things. They brought me to the academy when I was five, so I’ve basically grown up here. Aiden and Riley are my family.”

She lifted her head and looked up at his face. “Yurrkey?” She frowned when she couldn’t roll the r’s the way Lukas had when he said the name. “I’ve never heard a name like that before.”

“It’s Finnish. I was born in Finland. My parents are Finnish, but I don’t have the accent they do because I was raised here in America at the academy. Whatever accent I did have is gone.”

“Wow, that’s so cool. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go to another country. My friend Charlotte is similar. She was adopted as a baby from Ireland.”

She finally started to relax, and with relaxing came rambling, anything to distract her from the warm body holding her close and the low rumble of the passing storm outside.

The room stayed silent for a while. Anytime Blaire tried to move, Lukas subtly pulled her in further. He wasn’t done holding her, protecting her again. She enjoyed getting to know him like this, enjoyed his company. Was this the something more beneath his prickly surface she’d seen glimpses of? If only he could stay this way; she could see herself really liking him.

He cleared his throat. “Favorite food.”

“Huh?”

“I said, favorite food. What is it?”

She looked up at him. His cheeks looked a little red. He reached up and put his hand on her head, tucking her back against his chest to hide his embarrassment. She assumed he wasn’t used to this sort of thing, so she couldn’t leave him wavering. Not when he was trying to be nice.

“Oh, that’s a hard one. I like a lot of things. I guess top contenders would be anything with shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, and different melons. What do you like?”

“Chicken and dumplings.”

“Really?” Blaire giggled and shook her head.

He tensed. “What? What’s wrong with that?”

“Oh, nothing at all. I just figured you’d give a ‘guy’ answer. Like steak or pork chops, not something specific. My mom used to make the best homemade chicken and dumplings when I was sick.”

She missed her mom and wished she were here to guide her through the situation she found herself in. Though, if her mom were here, she wouldn’t be in the situation. Caleb might’ve stayed a normal big brother figure. But then she wouldn’t have met Lukas. Anxiety stirred inside at that realization, and her chest felt tight. It confused her.

Lukas nodded against her head. He still hadn’t moved away.

“Favorite color,” he whispered.

“Shades of blue to teal. You?”

“Black.”

She snorted, and he leaned back, raising an eyebrow at her. She burst into laughter. “What? I’m sorry! That was totally a guy answer.”