Leo.
I groaned, already dreading the look on his face before I saw it. I peeled my eyes open further to find Leo and Phoenix standing beside the bed, both fully dressed and lookingveryamused.
Leo had that stupid grin on, like he’d been waiting all morning for this moment. Phoenix stood beside him, arms crossed, expression unreadable — but his lips twitched slightly, betraying the edge of a smirk.
“I—this isn’t—” I fumbled, trying to sit up without waking Slade, which, of course, woke him instantly.
Slade blinked, looked down at me, then past me — and groaned like he’d rather face a battlefield than whatever this was.
“You two have nothing better to do?” he grunted.
“Not really,” Leo said. “Thisisthe highlight of my day. Just look at you two. All snuggled up like newlyweds.”
“I will stab you,” I muttered, yanking the covers up to my chin even though I was fully clothed.
Slade rubbed at his face, clearly debating whether or not it was worth getting up or just burying himself in the pillow and pretending the world didn’t exist.
Phoenix cleared his throat. “Time to eat breakfast. Thought we’d let you sleep in a bit, since—” his eyes flicked between us “—you seemed comfortable.”
I wanted to die. My face flamed with embarrassment.
Slade swung his legs over the edge of the bed with a grunt. “She couldn’t sleep. She asked me to stay. That’s it.”
Leo held up his hands, grinning wider. “Hey, no judgment. Really. Just impressed. I didn't know our grumpy bear could cuddle.”
“I wasn’t cuddling,” Slade snapped.
Leo looked at me. “Elle?”
“It wasstrategic warmth.” I said.
Leo laughed out loud.
And then the door creaked open.
Thorne.
His presence filled the room like a cold wind. He paused in the doorway, dark eyes flicking to Slade, then to me — still sitting on the bed with rumpled hair and flushed cheeks.
His jaw tightened.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, voice like cut glass.
Leo let out along, theatrical sigh. “Oh good. Daddy’s home. Now we’re in trouble.”
I scrambled to stand, which only made it worse. Thorne’s gaze followed every movement like he was tracking my weak spots.
Slade stood too, slower, rubbing the back of his neck. “We just slept. That’s all.”
“Nothing happened…” I began.
Thorne’s gaze slid back to me, unreadable. “I see.”
But he didn’t. And gods, I didn’t know how to explain it — not to him.
I didn’t owe Thorne anything. Ihatedhim. At least, I told myself I did.
But still, I said the only thing that felt true.
