You’re my conscience.
He made me feel alive.
I was so screwed.
An extra-loud whistle screeched behind us.
Everyone winced.
“What the hell, man,” someone grumbled.
“Wait up!”
My head fell back, and my eyes closed. The sound of a herd of elephants stampeded our way. I couldn’t stop a grin from tugging at my lips. Levi blasted past me, bumping my arm gently. He whispered as he continued past me, “Heya, Blakey.” His voice boomed a beat later, just in front of me. “Gimme, gimme. I give great piggyback rides.”
Palma tipped her head back, her hair falling so close to the ground. “It’s Leviiii. Where’d you go before? You dsispeared? Dissperead? Dis-a-p-peard on me.”
Levi chuckled as she climbed onto his back. He ducked his head toward hers, and she moved her own, inching closer to him. They were whispering together.
Heath was farther up in the group. His brother had relinquished him to some of Marshall and Heath’s friends. Seeing he was taken care of, Heath’s brother met my gaze once, giving me a brisk dip of his head before he went back inside. Marshall noted the exchange, the corner of his mouth falling down, but as he fell in step next to me, he didn’t comment on it.
I had a feeling all those questions would come later.
A toned arm suddenly draped over my shoulders, and I tensed instinctively but then relaxed (slightly) when someone chuckled beside me. Lassiter had joined us. He was only a few inches taller than me, so it felt almost intimate when I looked up, meeting his gaze. His head was tipped toward me, and he held my look, a wry tug coming to his top lip.
“Hey.” I stepped into him, my hip bumping his.
“Hey.” He bumped me back.
I tried to smother a grin. Tried and failed.
His matching grin told me he noticed.
“Lassiter!” Levi noticed him and swung around. Palma shrieked, burrowing her face into his massive neck. He held his meaty arms out, walking for us. “You’re joining us tonight?”
Lassiter’s arm tightened a little around me. “For a bit.”
“Nice.” Levi’s smile stretched from ear to ear. His gaze went to me and turned calculating. “You think we could get Cr—”
I coughed. “No.”
We were almost to the street.
Lassiter cut in. “Turn around, Levi. You’re about to get hit by a car.”
Levi’s eyes widened, and he swung around, then cursed and braked to a sudden stop as a bus went past him. His laugh was a little uneasy. “Thanks for that, man. You just saved my ass.”
Lassiter chuckled softly next to me.
Marshall moved farther away from us, catching up to Palma and Levi. Because Lassiter seemed like he was being nice tonight, I reached up and laced our fingers together.
He glanced down at me, his eyebrows raised.
I lowered my voice. “I know how you feel about him.” I ignored the sudden tension in his body. Maybe I shouldn’t bring it up, but knowing Lassiter, there wouldn’t be another time like this. He so rarely lingered, and here he was, walking with me. I wanted him to know, and if this was the only chance I had to talk to him about it, I was going to take it. “I’m sorry.”
He didn’t reply, but he also didn’t pull away. Half of the group broke away, going a different direction. Our small group with Levi, Palma, Heath, and Marshall continued moving forward.
Lassiter’s mouth curved down. His arm felt like dead weight around my shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. He’ll only be obsessed with you, and I’m aware of that.”
