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“What? Why?” Lee narrowed his eyes, looking my way as Cassian crawled over me and headed for the bathroom. Lee took his place, laying and snuggling in beside me. His hand went to my stomach too. “What was that about?”

I didn’t want to have that same conversation with Lee. I just started it and Cassian didn’t seem to like it and with Lee, he would see through me faster. Or it seemed like he did that, like I could say one thing and he’d look inside of me and instantly know the root insecurity.

“I don’t know.”

Lee shot me a dubious look, but Cassian came back.

He stared at us a moment, considering, standing at the end of the couch with his hands shoved in his pockets, which—damn. Those looked nice on him. They slipped low on his hips and showed some of his ripped abs that I was now starting to wonder if it was a hockey thing?

Lee glanced up. “What’s up?”

Cassian chewed on his lip, resting a knee on the couch’s edge and leaned forward. “That true what you said before?” To me. “You don’t have family waiting for when you get home?”

My cheeks burned, and I ignored Lee’s new scrutiny. I mumbled, “Yeah. They don’t care.”

He studied me a moment before his eyes shifted to Lee and held there a moment. I felt Lee nod more than actually saw him, but Cassian let out some oxygen. He scratched his head. “Is it too much if she stays with you?”

Lee’s voice was quiet. “Not too much for me, but that’s up to Cole. And if you’re okay with that? With what we’re doing.”

“I’m okay with it. I’ll see her at school and sorry, bud, but I’m not planning on being all chivalrous and shit just ’cause you’re not there.”

Lee barked out a laugh. “That tracks. I’d love it if she stayed.” His gaze landed on me as he was speaking.

Both were waiting for me.

“Like spend the night?” My heart palpitations sped up.

Cass replied, “Yeah. If what you said is true, and your family don’t care when or if you show up, that’s not cool. I care. Lee cares. Stay here. Lee’s all alone. His folks are off doing whatever for how long, just like always. It’s a common occurrence.”

I glanced at Lee to see how he was handling what Cassian said about his parents. It didn’t seem to faze him. He was watching me. Watching and waiting.

I asked, tentatively, “You’d be good with that?”

“Fuck yeah,” he breathed out, his forehead falling to rest on mine for a moment. He shot Cassian a smirk. “I’m not going to be chivalrous either.”

“Fuck dude,” Cass complained, but knowing he had no leg to stand on. “But, like, don’t do the dirty deed without me. You know? I don’t want to miss that.” He remembered me and winced. “I mean, if we ever do that. Or, you know what I mean. If that’s an option at some point in the future.”

Lee grunted, taking a pillow out from behind his back and whipped it at Cassian’s head.

Cassian didn’t duck. He let the pillow hit him and caught it on the bounce. He pressed it over his groin. “Thanks for the memento. I’m pretty sure some of my cum got on here.”

“Christ, Cass. Get out.” Lee laughed, laying back down until Cassian made a clicking sound and jerked his head behind him.

Lee took the cue, patting my arm and climbing over me. “I’ll be right back. Actually. Are you sure about the clothes? I can grab some shorts and a shirt or a sweatshirt, whatever you feel comfortable sleeping in.”

“Uh. That’d be nice, actually.”

“Okay. Be right back.”

He took off for the stairs again and Cassian crossed to me as we heard Lee above us. He leaned down, getting in my face, and he tucked a hand under my chin. “I don’t know why you were asking those questions. You made a comment, but then you didn’t get into it so I can only guess. If you’re thinking we’re not going to want you if you’ve got a family who doesn’t appreciate you, or if you don’t have enough money to own a car and you gotta work for everything you have in life, or if you’re able to see and talk to the dead, you are batshit crazy. I won’t call you crazy for seeing ghosts, but I’ll tell you your brain is off its chain wacked for thinking we’re not going to want you. I am into you. Big time. So is Lee. If you don’t turn scaredy cat, neither will we. You got me?”

I could barely breath, could barely think, and could only whisper, “I got you.”

“Fucking good.” His lips pressed to mine.

I swooned as a tear slid down my cheek.

When we heard Lee returning from the top floor, Cassian pulled away but groaned as he saw me. “You’re looking so hot and fine right now. Gonna drive home with a hard dick.” He winked before he took one last kiss, then headed upstairs.