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He shook his head, rubbing his palm over the side of his face. “Scared.”
Poof!
Lee’s change was automatic, turning into stone.
He was guarding himself. I was getting that now. Preparing himself for whatever Noah was about to do, who was standing in the kitchen with us and looking from one to the other. “Are you serious?” He folded his arms over his chest, an eyebrow raised. “Cassian is up there. Alone.”
Lee scoffed. “He’s in the shower.”
“How do you know that?”
Lee and Noah shared a look before Lee shrugged. “It’s a guy thing.”
“Oh.” I didn’t understand, but okay.
Noah waved his finger in a circle, indicating us. “My point is that he shouldn’t be up there alone.”
Lee straightened from the counter really quick. “She was attacked today, then shoved out of her body. If you’re suggesting she should be in the shower with him, take off. And I’m not going in there unless she’s in there with us. He and I are both dating her. He and I are not dating. There’s a difference.”
“I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that you’re both exhausted. Whatever the two of you were about to embark on for the conversation about why you’re scared to tell anyone alive your number one secret is not a conversation for this night. The three of you should be up there together. Just together. That’s all. Cuddling. Sleeping. I don’t care. The two of you have this shared side that he fully knows he can’t be a part of so that needs to be thought about and addressed.” He stressed, “But not tonight. Just be together tonight.”
Lee fixed him with a dark glare. “You held hands with three girls, got to second base with two girls, and dated one girl for approximately one week. You think you’re some relationship guru now?”
Noah was shaking his head while Lee was talking, his lips in a mocking sneer. “I didn’t die a virgin, which you know too. And trust me, being on the other side gives you perspective.”
I opened my mouth.
He continued to glare at Lee while he held up a finger toward me. “You didn’t die, Ghost Girl.”
I closed my mouth.
He harrumphed. “Now, chop chop. Go up and do your weird little three-way thing that you are doing, and by the way, every report that you have been banned from Haven Rock High School has officially been eliminated. You’re welcome if you want to transfer back to help have your girl’s back. You can thank Benji for the online destruction. The poltergeist is really good at melting code. Who would’ve ever thought he had those talents.”
He vanished on those departing words.
Lee let out another sigh before reaching for me, his arm coming around my shoulders and he tugged me to his side. “You want water before going up?”
I shook my head. “No.” I could’ve said something cheesy, but I figured there’d be better moments.
His arm slipped from me. I waited as he shut down the house, going over to the security system. He held his hand out for me when he was done and together, we walked upstairs.
Cassian was freshly showered and curled up on one side of Lee’s giant bed. He yawned, giving us a slight wave. His eyes were so soft and drowsy. “That was faster than I thought.”
Lee ducked into his bathroom.
I went over and kneeled on the bed beside Cassian. He picked up my hand, starting to play with my fingers as I said, “We started, but Noah reminded us that we should get our asses up here to be with you.”
Cassian paused. “Noah said that?”
I nodded, feeling a little foolish. “The thing Lee and I can both do, it doesn’t matter. Not with this thing, with all three of us. You need to be a part of that conversation too.”
“But I can’t see ghosts. Or talk to them.”
“It doesn’t matter. I love you so you should be a part of every serious conversation.”
His eyes went tender before he smirked, slightly. Pushing up from the bed, he murmured right before his lips brushed against mine, “How very mature and adult of you.” He pressed harder against me, but before the kiss could deepen into anything more, he dropped back to the bed. He pulled my hand to his chest. “Don’t forget we’re still in high school. You might not want anything to do with me in six months.”
I frowned, laying down beside him and scooting over until my shoulder brushed against him. “You really think that?”