“Something like that,” I deadpan.
“How is hanging out with him going?” Cassie asks me.
I hate that my cheeks flush a bit. I hear a chorus of “oohs” and I just shake my head, “Knock it off! None of that.”
“Sorry,” Mac says, giggling. I hear Amelia and Cassie murmur the same.
“I hung out with him last night. That’s what Ash is talking about. I took him some dinner, just burgers and fries. We sort of had a picnic in his living room while watching the Food Network.” I have no intentions of telling them what happened after that on every surface imaginable. So, I go for half-truths because it’s all I’m comfortable with. “I fell asleep at this place, and I didn’t end up leaving until the morning. I was so beat, and it was so comfortable that I just stayed.”
It’s the truth. Once I climbed into his bed and he pulled me close to him, I felt so comfortable. His bed is amazing, as are his moves in it, but sleeping beside him felt so right.
I look around the room, and they all have cheeky grins on their faces.
“Shut up!” I say, tossing a pillow at Mac since she’s the closest to me.
“Aw, come on. I’m happy for you,” she says through a fit of giggles. “But Ash is not,” she reminds me.
I shake my head. “No, he is not.”
“He’s your big brother; he’s just being protective of you,” Amelia reasons.
I nod. “I know he is. I just wish he would lay off a bit. No one says we’re doing anything stupid or anything. Just hanging out.”
“And you enjoy spending time with him?” Amelia appraises me carefully. “I’m only asking because of all of the times you said you hated the man.”
I sigh. “Yes, like I said, it’s as if something switched in my brain. It’s exhausting to have to hate him as much as I did.” I shrug and take a swig from my beer. “He’s matured a lot since we were college freshmen.”
“I always imagined that ‘college August’ resembled ‘Blaze August,’” Mac teases me. “You know, the whole Peter Pan syndrome.”
“Not entirely,” I admit, pulling my knees to my chest. “He was actually a sweet guy. I think it’s his father who changed him.”
“What do you mean?” Cassie asks, leaning in.
I contemplate my response before diving into what he was like before the Blaze. “August has always been under his father’s thumb. Held down by the expectations that come from being a Cromwell.” I pause for a moment and take a sip of my beer. “I think it all came to a head that freshman year when Maxwell found out that he was seeing me. I wasn’t what he wanted for his son. Drew was all squared away doing whatever it is he was doing,” I say, waving my hand, shooing away imaginary Drew. “So, he focused on August and that focus did things to August...” My voice trails off, as if revealing the truth would be like a betrayal to August.
I look around and see them nodding.
“See you really don’t think he’s that bad,” Mac says, grinning at me.
I roll my eyes at her. “Yes, we’ve established that.”
A bit of a flush creeps across my cheeks, and the girls sing a chorus of “oohs.”
I laugh. “Knock it off, girls.” But I’m only half-kidding. It doesn’t matter to me if they know. At least maybe there will be less sneaking around.
“Fine, no teasing Hendrix; we won’t do that,” Cassie says, grinning at me. “But just know that your secret is safe with us. If you don’t want this to be made group knowledge, it won’t be.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. I think we’ll just let life continue organically and see where it goes from there,” I say with a shrug. “Who knows what August is okay with coming out? I’m still me, and his dad is still his dad.” I can see that it’s on the tip of their tongues to say something, but no one does.
Amelia hobbles over and hugs me. “You’re worth more than Maxwell Cromwell realizes.Waymore.”
“Thanks,” I say, leaning on her. I don’t bother agreeing with her because it’s not them I need to convince. It’s Maxwell. And maybe even myself.
Chapter Twenty
~AUGUST~
The elevator ding lets me know that Hendrix has arrived. It makes me smile to have her here with me. We’re not staying, so I have to be careful with my hands.
