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"I want." She nods, already grabbing a knife from my counter. By the time I've gotten drinks out of the fridge, the pizzas are fairly halved and distributed on our plates. Considering her four brothers, I expected more drama around the halves. Maybe for her to pull an ‘Evan’ and get a ruler or scale.

"What are we watching?" I ask and walk ahead into the living room.

"Something fun," she declares, sits down on my couch and puts her feet on my coffee table.

Dick and Rose move closer, curious about the pizza plates on our laps, but one sharp glare from Brooke and redirects their path to the window, where they lie down and only shoot us pleading looks.

"Here." I hand her my phone. "It's got all the streaming platforms you desire. Make your pick."

I munch on my first piece of pizza as she goes through all of them and finally puts on the new He-Man movie.

"I figure we can both do with some eye candy." She winks at me and hands my phone back.

I stare at her in awe.

"You know, if I wasn't still probably contagious, I'd kiss you right now."

Wordlessly, she points at her cheek.

Damn.

I can't stop grinning as I lean in and kiss the spot she pointed at. "You're adorable when you blush," I whisper into her ear before I lean back.

"I'm always adorable," she corrects me and presses play, then takes a bite of her pizza.

Chapter 25

Kieran

“Evan!” I shout into his tattoo studio, catching my breath.

"What?" He tears the curtain to the tattoo booth aside and glares at me, confused. "What are you screaming for? I heard the dang bell."

"Well, the dang bell can tell you that two of my friends are about to burst through that door, pretending they're here by complete coincidence." It took a lot of begging and even more bribing him with Caleb’s pastries, but I convinced him to at least tattoo the back of my other leg. No more half-assed tattoos on this body.

Also, he had me prove I wasn’t sick anymore. Thankfully, Brooke vouched for me. Kind of rude how he deems her more believable than me.

The corner of his mouth twitches. "What is this? A stalker situation?"

"I mean, kind of." I glance out the window, checking if they’re close already. "I mentioned I had friends here in Kinstead, which they took offense to because they don’t know you.”

“Right, I always forget I’m your dirty secret.” He giggles and takes off his plastic gloves, way too thrilled about the fact that he can call himself that.

“Oh, shut up. Anyway, they followed me here, and let me tell you"—I inch closer to him and lower my voice—"they suck at the hiding thing. I saw them the entire time. So, we can either do the funniest thing ever and undress, or—"

The door bursts open, the bell chiming louder than I’ve ever heard it.

"Damn it." I stomp my feet with the attitude of a pouting child. Dick would be proud of me.

"Kieran? Oh, hey!" Nic says, surprised, putting all her acting skills to use. "What a coincidence."

"So coincidental," Lauren adds, linking her arm with Nic's, doing her best to seem all small and innocent, as if she didn’t just kick in Evan’s door so hard the bell almost flew off the wall.

"Coincidental?" I slowly turn around and glare at the two of them. Oh, I can still have fun with this.

"So, what are you two here for in this tattoo and piercing studio?" I point to the sign. Very notably, both of them only have one set of earrings. Let's see how far they will play this game.

Lauren turns pale and stares at one of the example pictures on the wall. But Nic? She takes about one-point-two seconds to gather herself, then breaks into the widest grin.