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“I’ll stay.”

He goes still, all of his attention on me.

“Temporarily,” I add. “Let’s try a couple of weeks. Then reassess. I’ll keep looking for places, but it buys me time.”

His expression stays maddeningly casual, but his shoulders loosen. “Whatever you need, Laney.”

My heart does a ridiculous little flip, and I hate that he has that effect on me.

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Today. Going with me. Looking out for me.”

The place was awful, and I would never admit it to him, but I would rather sleep in my car… or even the haunted hotel than rent there.

His grin returns, and he wiggles the fingers of the hand closest to me. “Think of it this way. If I hadn’t been there, you could be carrying about Boyd’s leftover Cheeto dust right now.”

I make a face. “Why would you remind me of that?”

“Because you should appreciate my sacrifice.”

“You literally intercepted a handshake.”

“Heroic.”

“Unhinged.”

“Protective.”

I shake my head. “You’ve always been annoyingly protective.”

“I wouldn’t say annoying per se, but I have always looked out for you.”

The way he says always has me wondering just how much I’ve overlooked.

“Have you?”

His brow lifts. “You serious?”

“Yes.”

“Tyler Harris.”

I blink.

“What about Tyler Harris?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Of course I remember him. He stood me up.”

Bishop’s chest lifts a little.

Wait. No.

“What did you do?”