Page 69
“Yes, sir.” Ash squeezed my waist. “It’s been a lot, but we’re getting through it.” He motioned to Ezra. “Ezra and I used to be roommates before I moved to Raleigh. It’s how I met Rae last year.” He nodded at Cyn and Zeke. “This is Cyn and Zeke. They moved in after I left.”
“It made sense for us all to come together when Ash called,” Ezra said, voice calm and convincing.
The news seemed to placate Mr. Stevenson’s suspicions, his expression relaxing.
“Well, you boys take care of Rae. She’s a sweetheart and doesn’t need any trouble.” He eyed Ash. “You’re a big guy. She needs that. Someone to keep the weirdos away.”
Ash chuckled. “Of course. I’ll keep a good eye on her.” Surprise hit me again as he kissed the top of my head, thumb stroking my waist.
“C’mon, Max. Your mama’s ready for bed.” He smiled at me after Max rushed inside. “S’pose you boys will be hanging around for a while to look out for our girl?”
Ash’s hand tightened on my waist as the guy’s shared a look. “Yes, sir.”
Mr. Stevenson nodded, once again satisfied with Ash’s response. “Alright then. Goodnight, Rae. If you need anything, just holler.” He looked at the guys one last time before going inside, muttering, “Ain’t heard names like that before.”
Zeke rolled his lips in to keep from laughing. His eyes twinkled beneath the porch light.
“Let’s go inside,” I whispered, stepping forward to take the keys from Ezra.
Once the door closed and I put my purse on the table, I turned to Ash. “Boyfriend?”
He ran a hand over the braids on the side of his head. “Well, I figured it’d be more awkward to explain why your cousin had his arm around you?”
I pressed my fingers into my eyes. “Consoling me,” I muttered.
“What?”
I looked up at him. “Maybe you were consoling me after a funeral?”
Zeke snorted when Ash’s face went blank. “Didn’t think that one through.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Raelynn.”
“And what’s with that?”
He raised a brow. “What?”
“Raelynn. You called me Rae outside.”
“You said your friends call you Rae. I assumed your boyfriend would too. Wouldn’t he?”
I slid off my shoes and crossed to the kitchen, pulling leftover Chinese from the refrigerator. “I guess?”
Zeke took a stool at the counter. “You guess?”
“It’s been a while. I don’t make a habit of recalling past relationships.”
Cyn took the stool beside Zeke. He hadn’t said a word to me since we got out of the car. I could only imagine what Mr. Stevenson would’ve thought if he’d seen that first.
I scraped lo mein, chicken, and broccoli into a bowl, slid it into the microwave, and pushed the containers in Ezra’s direction.
Ash hesitated at the edge of the kitchen. “Are you mad?”
I looked up from my phone. “Huh? Me?”
“Yeah.”
“No. Why would I be mad?”
