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Forcing myself to relax, I choose the truth instead of a lie. “I was, but I ended it months ago.”

“Why?”

Releasing a breath, I let my head fall back against the stall door. “Because I couldn’t give him what he wanted.” Honestly, I’d been a little sad to let him go. KC’s quite bendy and actually entertaining once you get past that irritating personality, but he started asking for more. Wanting to stay the night, have sex in my bed instead of on the couch—which I never do—and touch in public. Intimacy. “Things that just aren’t in my nature to provide.”

Shilo seems to understand, nodding slowly as he lifts his thumb to his mouth, features far off and pensive.

“Do you...” He starts to speak but loses his nerve, dipping his head while muttering something under his breath. All I catch is the word ‘frickin‘.

“Just spit it out, Shilo,” I bark, no patience tonight, and he glares up at me from under his hair.

“Maybe we could...help each other,” he says, once again shifting his gaze around the stall, and my brows slam down.

“Help each other, how?”

“Well, you need to get off, don’t you?”

I don’t answer, choosing instead to wait and see where the hell he’s going with this because I’ve lost the plot.

He smacks his lips, flinging a hand at me. “You definitely do because you’re grumpy.”

“Maybe I’d be happier if my paid intern actually got my coffee right every morning.”

“Irrelevant.” Chewing his thumb, he bounces his head from side to side as he picks apart whatever he’s trying to say in his brain. “I’m not...confident in myself or my body. The kids in school were jerks, and...well, anyway. Maybe you can help me see myself the way you do?”

Trying to follow along, I gaze at him for a few perplexed moments. “The way I see you? Pretty?”

He nods slowly, wringing his fingers together.

“And how would I do that?”

“By...” Shilo stalls again but shakes himself out of it and pushes forward. “By getting each other off...together?”

Now, that was the last thing I’d expected to come out of his mouth.

Consider me speechless because, for my life, I cannot think of a single answer to that proposition.

We stare at each other, music thumping from the club around us, and even though I can see his pulse running wild on the side of that slender neck, Shilo doesn’t drop my gaze.

Just as I think of a response, the door to the bathroom opens, and Declan’s voice calls for me.

“Hey, Ry? You in here?”

“Aye,” I shout, my voice rough like gravel as I take in the boy in front of me, all soft skin and tender bones.

“Have you seen Shilo? We thought he had gone to the bathroom, but he wasn’t in the other one. Paige is losing her marbles.”

My jaw tenses as I swallow thickly. “He’s right here.”

And offering himself to me on a silver fucking platter.

A beat passes before Dec sighs heavily. “What the fuck am I supposed to tell his sister?”

“Tell her I got sick,” Shilo squeaks, clearing his throat. “Ry...uh, Mr. Callahan was just helping me through it.”

A scoff answers back. “Yeah, alright. Helping you with his dick, maybe.”

“Get the fuck out, Declan,” I growl, ten seconds away from leaving the stall to kick his ass.