“Yes. Ollie said fuck.”
“I say it when it’s important!” He blushes in the most adorable way. I’m so happy he and Cillian found a way to make it work. If not, I know we would have lost Cil—not completely, but he would have done anything to be with Ollie. That’s just the way we all work.
“I love you.” I hug Ollie, who squeezes me tightly in return.
“Why are we so happy?” Shai asks.
“Because I had ‘the talk’ with Zuri and everything is good between us.”
I’m sure he knows what I mean by the talk. Even though it likely happened way differently for him and Rory, they would have had it, too.
“That’s cool. Happy for you,” Shai says. “Rory is talking her ear off. Are you afraid?”
I chuckle. “A little.”
I order more food than three people would normally eat because Rory loves food and can literally never stop eating. I have no idea where he puts it all. Ollie gives me three drinks—soda for Ror and me, and water for Zuri, because she loves it in this strange way that I didn’t know people actually liked water.
I slide back into the booth, handing each of them their drinks.
“Thanks, Ash,” Rory says.
“I think I love him,” Zuri adds.
“Uh-oh. Should I tell Shai you want to steal his man?” Rory teases. “I don’t share anymore…at least not with anyone other than Cil and my bunny.” His bunny is Ollie. The four of them have a special bond through what Rory and Cillian share. The two of them aren’t in love with each other, but they seek a sort ofconnection with each other that they find with the four of them being together.
“Aren’t you supposed to be stalking your boyfriend or something?” I tease.
“That’s why I’m here,” Rory adds.
I can’t describe the happiness that fills me up. I experienced it the night of the hangout session with all of us, too. There’s nothing like having Zuri with my people. My family.
“Nope,” Zuri jumps in. “I’m all Ash’s, and she’s all mine.”
My heart goes all fluttery.
“Okay, well, that was sweet,” Rory says.
“Yes,” I reply. “It was.”
“A little gross, too,” he teases, and I playfully kick him under the table. “I hope you got lots of food. I’m starved.”
“I got plenty.”
The three of us wait, and eventually Shai brings over the two large pizzas and a side of cheese bread.
“Is Rory trying to steal your girlfriend?” Shai teases.
“Nope. I already told them I’m all yours, pet,” Rory replies.
“That was sweet…and a little gross,” Zuri repeats what he’d said about us, and then the three of us are laughing again, while Shai tries to figure out what he missed.
Shai has to go back to work, so he leaves us be while we eat dinner. Rory stays behind when we leave, because God forbid he’s away from Shai if he doesn’t have to be.
We decide to go back to Zuri’s dorm for the night, and we’re almost back to the campus when I ask, “Do you have plans this weekend?”
“Oh shit. I forgot to tell you about the rally. When you were in Boston, we had another sexual assault on campus. I organized a rally for Friday afternoon.”
My spine stiffens, anger making my hands tighten on the steering wheel. It feels like this never stops—not justaround Ashford but every college, every town, every state—just everywhere. “That’s scary. I fucking hate this shit. Count me in to help, and I’m sorry I was in Boston and didn’t know all of this was going down.”
