Knix nodded in response. “You’re welcome to stay here for the timebeing.”
I shook my head and glanced sharply at my leader. “Um, I’m not sure if that’s possible,” I said. “Unless you’ve forgotten. When you designed thehouse—”
“I had my construction guys come out and start on the pool house while we were gone,” Knix interrupted with an exhausted exhale. “I had intended to offer it to Harlow’s mother if she wanted to leave the center, but…I suppose it’ll be fine if we let Grayson use it for now. Besides,” Knix turned a weary smile on Grayson, “all the better to keep an eye on you, right?” He tried for joking, but it fell flat and he grimaced almost immediately after the last word left hismouth.
“You don’t have to—” Graysonstarted.
I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. If Knix says it’s good, then it’sgood.”
“It’s not quite finished, though,” Knix warned. “The bedroom is done, but the kitchen in it still needs some work and the walls needpainting.”
“I don’t really care,” Grayson admitted. “Right now, I just want a bed to crawl into and forget about this day for a good eighthours.”
Texas and Knix both nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan to me,” Texassaid.
“Come on,” Knix moved to the back doors, heading to wherever I supposed he had started constructing the pool house, “I’ll takeyou.”
Texas and I remained behind, watching them go. My gaze moved to the hallway that led to Harlow’s room. Exhausted and perhaps a little heartbroken, she had gone to bed hours ago. There was no doubt in my mind that her relationship with Erika was most certainly over. Erika was too traumatized by her experience to stay behind. She’d probably always relate what happened to her with Harlow now. Not that it was any of Harlow’s fault, but my girl was like that—she’d let her ex-friend blame her if it made her feel better. She’d also blame herself for not being able to stop it. I both loved and hated that abouther.
“You going to her?” Texas’ voice drew me out of mythoughts.
I turned away from the hallway. “What?”
“I asked if you were going to her,” he repeated, eyeing me. I knew he meant Harlow. It hadn’t escaped anyone’s notice how often I slept in her bed. I just liked to keep her close. I liked the feel of her hair against my skin. The smell of her on me when I wokeup.
“Maybe,” I admitted uncomfortably. “We talked aboutthis.”
He nodded, and to his credit, he looked neither jealous nor angry, just contemplative. “You’ll have to give us all a chance,” he reminded me. “That’s what we agreed on. You got your time with her. Remember, if this is gonna work, we all need time withher.”
As much as I didn’t want to agree with him right now, I knew he was right. “If you want to go, then you can,” Isaid.
Texas nodded. “I know Ican,” he replied, “but my point is that you’ve had her first, now. It’s going to be up to you to remind some of them that theycan have her as well—as long as she’s good withit.”
“You mean Bell and Knix, don’tyou?”
Texas' gaze moved past me to the back doors. “AndGrayson.”
I sucked in a breath. “Right,” I said stonily, “and Grayson.” Texas met my eyes once more and we stood like that for an unknown amount of time before I couldn’t take it anymore. I broke his gaze and moved towards the stairs. “I’m going to bed,” I called over my shoulder. “Goodnight.”
As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard Texas’ footsteps echo down Harlow’s hallway. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I knew he was right. My parents had taught me to share well, but I had never even thought about sharing my girlfriend. The one thing that made it all easier, however, was the fact that I knew she meant as much to them as she meant to me. EvenGrayson.