“Yeah,” I said. “Though we like Avery, right?”
Danny looked surprised. “Shit, of course! He’s great. Just, it seems like Wilder’s basically moved in over there, you know? Pretty sure they’re gonna make it official real soon, and I don’t know how that’s gonna work for us with the rent.”
Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. “You could start charging Miller rent, since he practically lives here now.”
“And more than pays his way in groceries,” Danny pointed out. That was true. Miller was always bringing around takeout and expensive steaks and imported beer—stuff that we couldn’t afford. “Besides, he’s locked into his lease in Hopewell for a while yet, and I’m not gonna ask him to pay rent here while he’s already paying it there.”
Cash grimaced.
“I dunno,” Danny said. “Just, if Wilder does move out, we might need another roommate. There’s a guy in one of myclasses at community college that might be looking in a few months, and he seems okay.”
I trusted Danny’s judgment of people, but “seems okay” wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. I didn’t want Wilder to move out. I didn’t want some stranger living with us who didn’t get the way things worked around here. Who didn’t get that Cash didn’t talk and sometimes woke the whole house up with his nightmares.
The beans and rice suddenly didn’t taste as good, but I forced myself to swallow the next mouthful anyway. “Well, maybe we don’t have to worry about that for a while anyway.”
Danny glanced at Cash. “Yeah,” he said. “Probably not.”
Later, lying in bed staring at the ceiling, I worried about it until Cash huffed out an exasperated breath, shoved his covers off himself, and crawled into bed with me.
“You’re thinking too loud,” he complained. “It’s keeping me awake.”
“Shut up,” I said. “I am not, and that’s stupid.”
He poked me in the side, then snuggled up and put his head on my shoulder. “Don’t get all bent out of shape. You’re supposed to be happy now you smell like jizz all the time.”
“You’re so fucking gross,” I said, and his body shook with a silent laugh. “I showeredandbrushed my teeth!”
“TMI,” he said and poked me in the ribs again.
I poked him back, and he snorted and then let out a long, low sigh.
“Night, Chase.”
“Night, Cash,” I whispered back.
It would be easier to sleep now Cash was beside me. It always was.
CHAPTER 10
LEE
Ihoped that Bobby never fixed Chase’s bike because dropping Chase off after work every afternoon was fast becoming the high point of my day. Some days there was a dirt bike or a truck in the driveway, and he got out of the truck without a backward glance, but on the days nobody was home, we took full advantage. And the sex was great, but there was something more too. Yesterday when I’d had him sitting on the kitchen counter with his legs wrapped around me, we’d stopped for a breather in the middle of fucking and Chase had leaned his forehead against mine. And then his fingers had beat out a soft tattoo against my shoulders, and it had felt like more than sex. That whatever crazy fucking chemistry had caused us to crash up against each other wasn’t as important in that moment as some newer but deeper connection that was building between us.
He’d even offered me a soda when we were done, and we’d sat on the back porch overlooking the scrubby yard that was half dead grass and half dirt, and I told him about some of the recipes I was thinking of trying at Gobble de Goose.
“I don’t know what any of that stuff even is,” he said, giving me some serious side-eye.
“It’s Filipino,” I said. “My lola, my grandma, taught me how to make them.”
“Oh,” he said. “I thought you were Mexican or something.”
“Nope,” I said. “Half Filipino, half beige as fuck.”
“I’m gonna tell your mom you said that.”
“Oh, please. Where do you think I heard it?” I took a swig of soda. “Anyway, I don’t know if Goose Run is ready for Filipino pastries and cakes.”
He shrugged. “How will you know unless you try?”
