—
I rolled my suitcase behind me, already feeling guilty for imposing when I knocked on the door. When I’d gotten in the car this morning, this had seemed like a wise idea, but now I was starting to wonder if I should’ve given it more thought. Or at least talked to Foster first.
But after three days of not hearing from him, I was done waiting around for my life to start. Of course, that rah-rah-you-go-girl pep talk had only lasted a few hours into my trip from Verde Pass. My internal cheerleader had fallen off the top of the pyramid and lost her pom-poms somewhere around San Antonio.
The door swung open, and my brother filled the doorway, smiling down at me. “Well, if it isn’t my homeless sister.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up. I’m not homeless. I have a house.”
“Just not here,” he pointed out.
“Not yet.”
He stepped inside and swept his arm toward his loft. “Never let it be said that I don’t help those in need.”
I sauntered past him, rolling my bag behind me and wishing that Bailey didn’t live in a dorm. I loved my brother, but I’d spent enough time under the same roof with him to last a lifetime. Plus, I didn’t want to be in the way. They already had a pretty crowded household. And I’d gotten the vibe when I asked Andre if I could crash here for a few days that he was hesitant. I turned to Andre and did a mock curtsy and head bow. “I will forever be indebted, dear brother.”
Jace, who was on the couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table and a game controller in hand, gave me a quick grin. “Hey, dollface. Don’t let that asshole make you feel unwelcome. You can stay here as long as you need.”
“Did I say she was unwelcome?” Andre said, walking past me and tugging my ponytail before taking my suitcase from me. “My door is always open.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, not quite buying it.
He strolled off toward the stairs and the bedrooms on the second level. Jace paused his game and turned around, smirk in place. “You realize why he’s freaked out, right?”
“Because me staying here is a pain the ass,” I offered.
“Nah.” Jace glanced up at where Andre had disappeared. “He knows you know about the three of us, but he’s afraid of you seeing it. Knowing and witnessing are two different things. I think he’s afraid the fabric of your very existence will split in two.”
“Oh, come on. Seriously?” I frowned. “It’s not like I haven’t already seen him kissing Evan.”
Jace tilted his head, giving me the come-on-now look.
“Okay, yes, it’s going to be different seeing PDAs between the two of you. But seriously, I have no issue with any of it. I want him to be happy.”
“Good, then we’re going to get this shit out of the way right now, because Evan’s out of town on a job for the weekend, and I don’t want Dre walking around with his shorts in a knot.”
I had no idea what he meant by that but had a feeling I wouldn’t be wondering for long.
Andre came back downstairs a few minutes later. He crooked his thumb behind him. “I went ahead and set you up in my room.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that. I can take the couch.”
“It’s not a problem,” Andre said quickly.
“But—”
“He doesn’t sleep in there anymore,” Jace supplied. “So really, don’t stress.”
Andre’s gaze narrowed as he turned to him. “Jace.”
“What?” Jace asked, all wide-eyed innocence. “It’s not like she doesn’t know.”
Andre scraped a hand through his dark hair, and there may have been a hint of color in his cheeks. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. It was a rare day to see the great Andre Medina embarrassed.
“Let’s just not go there, all right?” Andre said, his tone holding warning.
That’s all it took. Jace was pushing himself off the couch and heading my brother’s way. The switch from laid-back, fun-loving Jace to this version kind of took my breath for a second. I recognized that look. It was the look Foster gave me when he was about to issue a command. Oh, shit. A little shiver went through me—like my body knew how to pick up a predator in its midst.