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Then August bends down, and a moment later, Emery is swept off the floor and into his arms.
“Oh my god,” I say as people turn to stare. “I didn’t know you were this strong.” I reach out and squeeze his bicep. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Don’t insult me,” August grunts, and he moves as quickly as he can toward the door with a full-grown man in his arms. Emery is not small. He’s thinner than August, but he’s just as tall. August will hurt his back again doing this, but there’s no stopping him. Despite having a justified dislike of Emery, August is incredibly loyal. He’d never just leave Emery somewhere where he could get hurt.
When we make it to his SUV, I quickly unlock the doors and peek inside. You know, just in case there’s a serial killer lurking in the backseat, and then watch as August settles Emery in.
The movement startles Emery awake, and he looks at August with hooded eyes, reaching out and sloppily touching his cheek. “Look at you. The hero. The golden boy. Everyone’s favorite.”
“Shut up,” August replies and buckles him in. “Get in, Mags, before I do something I shouldn’t.”
I nod and hop into the passenger seat as August starts the engine. Peering over my shoulder, I see Emery watching August before closing his eyes and nodding off.
“God, I hate him. He’s such a punk,” August mutters and then glances over at me. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I didn’t do much.”
“You just being around helps keep me level-headed. Thanks.”
“Anytime, friend. You know that.”
We drive for a few minutes, and I ask, “What are you going to do with him?”
“Shit, I dunno. I can’t bring him home. Can I stay with him at your place? Make sure he doesn’t choke on his own vomit? Die of low blood sugar?”
“Yeah, of course. I can…I’ll just stay over at Sem’s.”
August nods, turning the SUV around and driving toward my apartment on the opposite side of the city. The entire time we drive, Emery dozes, his mouth hanging open, his chin on his chest, and his hair covering his face. When we finally arrive at my place, August hefts Emery into his arms and carries him up the stairs without breaking a sweat. I’m seriously impressed and make sure to tell him so. August just glowers at me as he sets Emery on my bed.
“He smells like a brewery. I need to shower.” August sniffs his shirt and then glances at my bed. “I’ll wash your sheets tomorrow, I promise,” he says, and I shake my head.
“No worries. Really. You know where the blankets are. Call me if you need anything. I can be here in a few minutes. Sem doesn’t live far from here.”
August looks down at Emery, sprawled out on the bed like a starfish, and sighs. “Yeah, man. I will.”
I grab my car keys and pack a small bag of things I’ll need for work tomorrow, and then I’m out the door. It only takes me five minutes to drive to Sem’s place, and I suddenly feel my stomach clench with nerves. Knocking on his door uninvited late at night is not what we’re about.
Does he even want me here with him?
Am I crossing some sort of invisible boundary that we’ve never discussed?
Jesus, I need therapy to sort through all of this. This whole thing is messing with my mind.
I shake my head and then force myself to move because I’m not going to sleep in my car tonight.
My knuckles rap lightly on the door, and a moment later, it swings open, revealing a shirtless Sem who’s wearing low-slung sweatpants. Smears of charcoal adorn his cheeks and hands, his hair slightly mussed. He looks so damn hot that I have to look away for a second.
“Maggie,” he says, his eyes wide with surprise, and then he’s stepping back, letting me move inside. “You okay?”
“Yeah, August and Emery are at my place…long story. Can I stay here tonight? You know, if you don’t mind?”
Sem’s Adam’s apple bobs, and he nods. He turns around quickly, swiping a stack of papers from the table and stuffing them into a drawer. I catch just a glimpse of long lines and smears of black.
Damn, I want to see what he’s working on.
“Were those more drawings?” I ask with a raised eyebrow, peering around him at the half-open drawer.
He clears his throat, reaching back and slamming it shut. “Yeah.”
