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“You’re engaged to your step-sister.”
“She was mine first. It’s not the same. Continue.”
“Okay,” I take a deep breath, “it was the best night with another person I’ve ever had. It was earth-shattering good. I couldn’t be with anyone else. I tried. I fucking tried everything in my power to wipe Claire from my mind, but it feels like she imprinted on me or something. Like she marked me as hers.”
“I tried fucking Sarah, it didn’t work. I tried fucking Steven, it didn’t work. I even arranged a threesome with them and felt nothing.” I look up at him, grateful that he doesn’t even flinch when I talk about fucking a man. A surge of gratitude fills me for both him and Con. That gratitude turns into a tide of guilt because I’m lying to the two people who would, quite literally, go to war with me shoulder to shoulder.
“Okay, keep going. When did it start back up?”
“Claire came to me right when I moved back here. She needed a favor and knew she could come to me. It’s an on-going thing. I told her I would help her but gave her some conditions which led to us seeing each other for dinner once a week. Which eventually ended up with us in bed together, and now she’s got a key to my apartment and her own space in my closet.”
“What’s the favor? Is she okay?”
“I’m not sharing the favor, but she’s safe. There are things she needs to tell her family, but I’m letting her do it on her time and in her way.”
“So not only are you in a relationship with her, but you’re also helping her with a big secret that Con doesn’t even know?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what is going to be worse, you and Claire or her coming to you instead of him.” He bounces his leg up and down, a tell that he’s got something to say but isn’t sure how to say it.
“What are you thinking?”
“I just don’t see how this could end well. Are you doing your weird kinky shit with her?”
“No. She doesn’t know enough. I’m not trying to unethically train her to be a submissive. I’ll answer any questions she has and point her in the direction of resources, but I’m not doing anything intense.”
“Fuck.” He stands up and pours himself a drink, slamming it back in one go. “I’m not going to say anything to anyone, including Ives.” He looks at me with both eyebrows raised. “But I strongly encourage you to tell Con about this sooner rather than later. Especially whatever Claire is holding back from him. He could tell something was up at the hospital, and he’s mentioned that something is up with Claire. You’re both lucky he’s distracted by the twins and taking care of Hoodrat right now.”
I shake my head at the use of his nickname for Lilith. Despite the fact that she’s a millionaire on her own several times over and turned out to be his cousin, he still calls her Hoodrat from when we were in high school. Back when she was Connor’s sworn enemy from the south side of Chicago. We’ll be using walkers, and he’ll still call her that.
“I’ve been gently encouraging Claire to tell her family. She’s like Con though, when things get hard, she gets harder. She uses physicality, either dancing or-”
“Ew. Don’t finish that.”
“Or her sexuality,” I roll my eyes at his immaturity, “to deal with uncomfortable emotions. I swear, those two could actually be twins because they’re so similar.”
“Sounds like a nightmare to me,” he makes an exaggerated shivering motion.
There’s a knock at the door just then, and Gwen pokes her head in.
“Hey, there’s a last minute meeting at four with all the VPs,” she says before doing a double take. “Hey Levi. How are you?”
“I’m good,” he flashes a smile, “how’s my favorite Potter girl?”
“Busy.” She looks back at me. “I’ll see you in a bit. Good seeing you, Levi.”
He gives her a wave before turning back to me. “I need to go anyway. I’ll see you tonight at dinner?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.” Swimming in a sea of self-loathing and guilt for being a lying piece of shit.
______________________
I’m about to open the door to Con and Lilith’s when Claire’s door opens.
“Griff, come here for a second,” she beckons me over with a whisper.
I step inside her apartment and shut the door. She immediately wraps her arms around me in a happy hug.
