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“Isn’t that a good thing?” I ask, what with Fleur being her best friend.
“Well, yeah, but it’s sudden. Lee has to come back for work, apparently. But they left for his work, and it was sudden, then, too. Something doesn’t seem right.”
“What does he do?”
“I have no idea. Something that doesn’t give you a lot of notice, apparently.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Sawyer
We head home to finish packing for the week, plus an extra night now, and then all pile back into the car and Nico drives us to a similar set of gates as the ones at the compound. Similar but not the same.
“I thought we were going to the compound?” I ask as the gates swing open in front of us.
“Thisisthe compound, just the residential side.” Fancy. The driveway is just as long and obnoxious as the other one, and it leads up to a house of the same style. Nico parks in a garage to the side, and we all climb out. “I’m not giving you a tour, because I don’t want you here again, okay?”
“Chill out,” Ezra helpfully suggests. “We’re only gonna be here for like twelve hours. We’re not signing onto the lease.” Nico’s lips twitch and his shoulders lower a couple of millimeters which can only be a good sign.
“I’m sure your wing is plenty big enough for us to explore anyway,” Harlow jokes as she takes his hand, and he finally moves, leading us to the house with her by his side. As it turns out, she wasn’t wrong. This place is massive, and although he won’t give us the official tour, the walk to hiswingis long enough to show us that at least. It’s ostentatious and gaudy, and exactly how I’d expect the power-hungry leader of the Seconds to have made their surroundings. When we reach Nico’s area, it mellows out considerably, looking like the plain guest suite, but in the best way.
Harlow wanders around slowly, though there’s not much to look at.
“Do you stay here often?” she asks, but he shakes his head.
“Before the training started, I doubt I’d been back here since I moved out at eighteen.” Well, that explains it. A knock barely sounds on the door before it’s flung open and a bundle of brown hair throws itself at Nico. He catches her in his arms easily. She only rests there for a second before she’s pulling back with a squeal and throwing herself at Harlow instead.
“Alright, Clara, let her breathe,” Nico sighs, but Harlow doesn’t seem to mind, chuckling at Clara’s enthusiasm.
“Sorry, I’m just so excited you’re here! It’s all starting.”
“I think you’re the only one excited for The Games,” he drawls.
“I’m excited because it’s the beginning of the end,” she explains, not letting him put a damper on her excitement.
“Hopefully.”
“Definitely. I’ve got faith in you, Nico.” Clara beams.
“Me too,” Harlow adds, and she gets a small smile in return.
“Let’s run through the week one more time, and then I’ll let you buy me dinner,” Clara declares. “I’ve got a craving for Mexican food.” Nico rolls his eyes at her demands, but we all follow her over to the seating area, and once he’s comfortable, with Harlow’s feet in his lap, he does what she asked.
***
“I wish you’d warned me your bed was tiny before I suggested we join you,” Ezra grumbles.
“It’s not tiny, it’s just not meant to sleep four,” Nico huffs as he rearranges Harlow so she’s plastered over his chest, her legs wrapped around him, giving us a tiny bit more space. We’re still practically shoulder to shoulder—and that’s while lying on our sides—to fit in here. If I wake up with someone’s boner poking me, I’m going to be pissed. “There you go,” he declares, looking very pleased with himself.
“Oh, thanks,” Ezra drawls. “Such a sacrifice from you.”
Harlow grins and closes her eyes as their bickering settles down. It’s quiet for a long moment before Nico speaks, breaking the silence.
“I never got a chance to thank you two,” he says.
“If you’re about to thank us for joining The Games, you’re really gonna ruin the mood,” I tell him.
“I’m not. I know you could’ve made me being here with Harlow so much harder—maybe even impossible—but you didn’t. I’m not going to pretend it’s anything to do with me and not purely your love and respect for Harlow, but either way, I’m grateful.” I’m glad he’s acknowledging Ezra in this too, even after our conversation earlier.
