Nicholas exhales sharply, his shoulders dropping as he lets himself sink onto the couch. “You didn’t know because I didn’t tell you.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want you to know. I was ashamed.”
Koen moves closer, guilt etched into every line of his face. “Ashamed of what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Nicholas shakes his head, his gaze fixed on the floor. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
He looks smaller, somehow, like the fight has been drained out of him. I’m not sure what to say. How do you fix something that’s been broken for so long? But the silence feels worse, a gap that’ll swallow him whole if someone doesn’t reach out.
So, I do. I sit down beside him, placing a hand on his knee. “You okay?”
“Sure,” he says, but his voice carries none of the conviction it needs to be believable as he pulls his knee out from under my touch.
Ouch.
Sylus drops down onto the couch beside me. “Why are you even here,Harrington?”
“I don’t know.” Nicholas sighs, his frustration bleeding through his words. “To fucking debrief that dinner from hell? Make a plan?”
Sylus leans back, crossing his arms. “We have a plan.”
“Then share with the class?” Nicholas arches a brow.
Sylus huffs, but before he can retort, I chime in, “Yeah, share with the class. I’m still not sure what thisamazingplan is supposed to be. Nico and I are at least as smart as you, so I’m pretty sure we can keep up.”
Nicholas lets out a soft laugh, the tension in his shoulders slightly easing.
It’s not much, but I count it as a win.
I smile at him, but then Sylus hooks his arm around my waist and tugs me into his lap, his hold possessive as he presses a kiss to my throat. “Stop trying to soothe the dickhead.”
“Insecure much,Walker?” Nicholas asks.
“At least it doesn’t slip out when I fuck her, and she leans forward to kiss me.”
“I haven’t slept with her.”
“Notice how he didn’t deny having a small dick?” Sylus chuckles against the side of my head, his breath stirring my hair.
“Guys.” I sigh.
“Again,” Nicholas states. “Ididn’t start it.”
“You’re right.” I nod at him, then turn to Sylus. “Sylus?”
“Yes, baby?” he replies, all faux innocence.
“Shut up.”
He snickers but doesn’t push it further, pressing a series of light kisses to my throat and nibbling playfully.
“All right,” Koen cuts in, dropping into the armchair opposite the couch. He tilts his head toward Ace, who settles into the other chair. “Let’s talk about the plan.”
“Should we wait for Ezra and Levi?” I ask, looking over to the door they disappeared through.”
“I…” Koen starts, then appears as if he’s thinking it through. “No, we don’t need them for this, they know, and I guess they need some time to talk stuff out.”
“Or rather fuck things out,” Sylus murmurs in my ear, making me bite my lips to suppress a laugh.
Koen steeples his fingers as his gaze sweeps over everyone in the room. “Okay, let’s lay it out. The plan we had was Ric’s, and it was perfect.Almost. But we’re going to need to adjust it now, refine it, and add a few new elements to incorporate the evidence we still need regarding Oscar’s death.”
