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Kendalia hovered behind a chair. “Because it looks like things are going pretty well.”
While I was pretty sure my mouth was open, nothing came out. I clamped my lips shut and squeaked.
Molly sat and piped up. “There’s something there, but she doesn’t trust it.”
Kiley gasped. “Molly!”
I pointed to Kiley. “You told her!”
She shook her head. “No. She just knows.”
Molly pointed at me. “Ah ha! I was right.”
I glanced toward the men and found Ransom staring directly at me. I tipped my head a bit to let him know I was okay, but he just kept staring.
“See!” Joy said, pointing between us. “Like that.”
Kiley slapped her hand down playfully and they both snickered. “Joy! I’ve told you a thousand times it’s not nice to point.”
Joy sniggered. “But he watches her. Watches out for her too. Looks at her when she talks. He’s showing so many signs.”
My brows furrowed. “Signs of what?”
Joy blew out an exasperated breath. “Signs that he wants you, silly!”
I felt my heart stop. “Wait, what?”
“Well, he talks about you all the time,” Kiley said. “Ilya’s always telling me how much he compliments your skills and talents to the other guys.”
My cheeks burned red.
Kendalia sat with us. “And he touches you a lot. You know, putting his arm around the back of your chair or helping you with your coat. Touching your hand or your back.”
“That’s just because we’ve known each other for so long,” I explained. “It’s really no big deal. I touch him too. Hell, we sleep in the same bed most nights.” I slapped my hand over my mouth so hard it made a loud crack.
Everyone leaned in a little more eager for the details. I covered my eyes with my hands and then they overwhelmed me with questions, all speaking at once.
“Every night?”
“What are you wearing?”
“What is he wearing?”
“Is there any funny business?”
“You can’t just drop a bomb like that and not expect questions, hon,” Harmony said, settling in beside Joy.
I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. “How did you even hear? You were on the other side of the room!”
She shrugged. “Gossip carries. Don’t worry, the guys are oblivious. They’re playing with Apollo and Omar, so I came over for some girl time. Now, tell us all about this sleeping arrangement thing.”
I rested my elbow on the table and leaned my forehead onto my palm. “So, after my mother died, I was a mess. Someone pointed Ransom out to me at school telling me his mother and father died the same summer my mom did. So, I talked to him at recess one day. We became friends at school and then I figured out he lived a block behind me. One night, things were so bad at home that I climbed out my window, raced across the Higgins’ yard, and snuck down to his place. He lived in a little ranch with his Aunt Lori, so I just knocked on his window. He took off the screen, let me in, and he just held me that night. I came back night after night, sleeping next to him until I moved to New York.”
Kiley tilted her head. “And now?”
I felt my nose wrinkle. “Well, his last girlfriend was a stick figure, so we slept separately when I first came back last month. It was too weird. I didn’t see how it was possible for a man to fuck a girl the size of a high school ballerina one minute and then automatically adjust to a plus-sized woman for his next encounter. Just seemed a little disingenuous.”
Maddy’s eyes looked concerned. “To who? The other girl or you?”
