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“Um, I’ll just come out. Give me a sec—” He tries to shut the door, but I rest my hand flat against it.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” he says quickly. He glances over his shoulder, and I see a hickey on the side of his next. I bite back my laugh.
“So, why won’t you let me into your room?” I push on the door, but he pushes back, keeping it mostly closed.
“It’s a total mess in here,” he says, laughing awkwardly.
“It’s always a mess.” I lift my brows at him. “Open the door, kid.”
“I—I—” His eyes dart between mine.
“Just open the freaking door, man,” someone calls, sounding half asleep. I grin as he lets out a sharp sigh.
“You’re not fighting anymore, then?” I ask, and he shrugs. “Does your mom know he’s here?” He shakes his head.
“Please don’t tell her,” he says, and I hold my hands up.
“I’m not getting in the middle of this,” I say, and his shoulders slump. “Just talk to her. You know she won’t care.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Ian says.
“Yes, there is,” Enzo calls from the room, and Ian rolls his eyes.
“I’m going to walk the dog. Talk to her while I’m out.” He rubs the back of his neck, looking scared and unsure.
“Ez—” Kennedy calls as she leaves the bathroom, then abruptly stops. “Hey, bud. You going to walk Raspy?” I glance over my shoulder, finding her looking worried but trying to hide it.
“Um.” I look back at him, finding red creeping up his neck into his face. He shoves his hand through his messy hair, and leans against the doorframe with a sigh. “Can I talk to you, Mom?” I step out of the way, letting them talk without me interfering.
“Of course,” she says, shooting me a look. I just shrug and press my back against her closed bedroom door, my eyes flicking between them. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” he says, waving dismissively. He glances at me, then back to Kens. “It’s about the fight with Enzo. He’s—we’re good now.”
“In here, Ms. K!” he calls, his voice still groggy. A smile ghosts her lips as she nods.
“You’re not fighting anymore?” she asks, and Ian shakes his head. “Okay, yeah. Um.” She looks at me again, and I guess that’s my cue. I tap my neck, telling him I see the hickey, and he smacks his hand over it.
“Have fun,” I chuckle, giving them both a cocky grin and heading down the hall. I glance over my shoulder a last time before heading out with Rasputin.
They’re still standing a few feet from each other, and Ian looks like he’s about to have a panic attack. Kennedy’s shoulders are tense, but after this conversation, they’ll be back to normal. Everything will be fine.
Kennedy
Ian and I stare at each other until we hear the front door quietly shut. He gives me a lopsided smile as he rubs the back of his neck.
“So,” I say, huffing out a laugh. “What’s up?” His chest rises as he takes a deep breath and looks back into his room.
I impatiently wait for his answer, for him to acknowledge me, for something. I don’t know why he’s acting so weird. He had a fight with Enzo—so what? They’ve had a million fights but have always worked it out.
“Yeah,” Ian sighs. “Stay here.” Enzo grumbles something, and Ian’s shoulders relax. I wring my hands together, my heart in my throat, as Ian turns back toward me. “Your room?” He sounds scared, and it breaks me.
I can’t find my voice, so I nod and enter the room, letting him follow and shut the door. I sit on the bed and pat the spot next to me, eyeing him warily. He hesitates before sitting, but he doesn’t face me, or lay back on the pillows like he usually does.
“Is this about Ezra?” I blurt. “Do you not like him here?” He looks shocked at the question, but I can’t keep myself quiet. Everything I’ve been worried about overflows from my mouth. “Do you not like us together? I can break things off—”
“Mom, no,” he says, shaking his head. “I like Ezra. I—it’s a little weird that he’s always here, but I’m getting used to it. I like that he’s here. I like that you have someone. That you’re not alone anymore.” Emotion tightens my throat as I flick my eyes between his, searching for any hint of a lie. But there isn’t one.
