Page 56 of The Human’s Heart

I stepped forward with my friend beside me and my two uncles-slash-bodyguards behind us. This was going to be a very interesting few days with them following me around everywhere.

Mother of All, I hoped it was only a few days and not weeks. Or hell, months.

I grimaced at the thought of walking across the stage to receive my diploma with Uncle Thay and Uncle Toby trailing behind me.

That would be… so horrible and embarrassing. Yikes.

Chapter 17

Hugo

Having Zay’s grandparents or aunts, uncles, and cousins follow me around for the last three weeks had been… interesting. Honestly, it had been fine for the first week or so, but then it started getting a bit annoying. Or maybe distracting since everyone at work was aware that I now had bodyguards.

It was weird.

How did a guy like me, someone who’d had literally no one in his life he could count on aside from his sister, go from that life—the one where I was constantly struggling to pay for food, to pay my rent, to trust people—to one where I had the biggest family in the country, perhaps the world, so invested in my safety that they were following me around like a pack of lost puppies?

How was this my life?

I loved Zay’s family so much, but good grief, I could use a break.

Not that I was about to ask for one. I appreciated their help, and I definitely appreciated the fact that they were trying to keep me safe. But I just wasn’t used to… relying on other people for anything.

It was a big adjustment, that was for sure.

“Soooooo… who’s the hunk you’ve got following you around this time?” Arzu asked as they leaned on the bar, waiting for me to finish making them a tray of drinks for one of their tables.

I glanced over at Zay’s Uncle Hiro and grimaced. “Um, that’s Zay’s uncle. He’s like a million years old. Way too old for you.”

They laughed and clutched at their heart. “You wound me. I’m not as young as I look.” They smirked at me. “And anyway, he’s clearly taken. I just like looking.” They winked at me as I passed them the tray, and I laughed, shaking my head.

I wasn’t even surprised when Quinn came over a minute later, looking grumpy and put-out.

“What’s up, Quinny?”

He wrinkled his nose at the random nickname, but didn’t say a word about it. Instead, he asked, “Why does Arzu keep checking that guy out? Like, could they make it any more obvious?”

I held in my snort. “Dude, you need to ask them out.”

Quinn shot his head back to me. “Wh-what?”

“Um, you need to ask Arzu out. Clearly, you like them.”

To my surprise and delight, Quinn’s cheeks turned pink. “I, um, I-I, uhhh… um… what, um, what do you mean?”

Biting back a grin, I shrugged. “You’ve been pining after that cutie since the moment they started working here.”

Quinn’s eyes shot to me, looking alarmed. “Do you think they noticed?”

This time, I couldn’t keep my laugh back. “Dude, everyone’s noticed. Even the regulars.”

A guy three bar stools down leaned around the other patrons to add in, “It’s true. We even have a betting pool. If you could at least wait until Friday to—”

“Knock it off, Jimmy,” I called out good-naturedly, and laughed when his friend smacked the back of his head.

Quinn’s entire face was now red, and he hissed, “Is he serious? A betting pool?”

I shrugged. “Yep.”