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I give him a small smile. “I know. You’re the best bro a bro could ask for.”

“Hell yeah, I am!” I can’t help but chuckle. “But you’re the best bro too, Kassian. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without you.”

My heart slams into my ribs so hard I’m sure my insides will be bruised. My throat is dry and I swallow thickly, trying to find my voice. “You’d be fine.”

“I really don’t think I would,” he confesses softly. “You and me are a team through thick and thin until the end of time. There’s no me if there’s no us, you know?”

Why the fuck does this sound so much like a love confession? Why the fuck am I so desperately latching onto it?

“I feel the same way,” I say simply, reaching across the table to take his hand in my own, giving it a little squeeze.

“Good,” he says, squeezing me back. That’s when the waiter comes back with our drinks, setting them on the table. I take my hand back, doing my best to hide my blushing face.

“I’m really glad we have this break,” I tell Nix. “It’s really cool to have met Dean too. What do you think of going to his house tonight?”

I watch as Nix’s face brightens with a blush. It looks so pretty on his face but the idea that it’s from Dean sours my enjoyment of it ever so slightly.

“I think it’ll be fun,” he says after a moment, taking a sip of his coffee. “I’m not really sure what I think about all of this. He’s really nice, but it’s confusing, right?”

“What’s confusing?”

“The way he seems to fit with us so well.”

I just barely keep myself from letting out a deep sigh. So Nix is already feeling it. Good. That’s really good, even if it breaks my heart at the same time.

Chapter Six

Nix

“Why’d you make me wear this?” I ask again, tugging at the collar of my shirt.

“It’s customary to look nice when you’re having dinner at someone’s house like this,” Kassian explains, running a hand through his long hair which falls down his back in soft waves. He looks so gorgeous with his hair down like this. I wish he’d do it more often but I know it’s a pain to keep out of his face which is why he prefers to wear it up.

“If he opens the door wearing sweats I am going to be so mad at you, bro.”

Kassian snorts with amusement, shaking his head. “That’s fine. I can take it, bro.”

That sets me off into a fit of giggles against my permission. It’s not my fault I have a dirty mind! Kassian sets himself up so easily! “Yeah, you can,” I tell him, wiggling my brows at him. “Is that why you’re wearing a skirt today?”

“Oh, shut up,” he says, shoving me away from him.

“Listen, I’m not complaining.”

Kassian tucks some of his hair behind his ear. “You couldn’t handle all this anyway.”

“Oh ho! I could handle you just fine, bro! Am I a virgin? Yes. Does that matter in this situation? Nope!”

“You’re mighty sure of yourself.”

“How hard could it be?”

“Isn’t it supposed to be hard?” Kassian asks, raising his brow at me. It takes me a second to understand the joke but when I do, I start giggling all over again.

It doesn’t take long before we’re walking up the pathway to Dean’s home. Our banter has left me grinning from ear to ear, feeling carefree and happy. My heart feels like an eagle soaring overhead, away from every problem or hardship.

Kassian steps up to the door and knocks a few times before taking a step back down next to me. We don’t have to wait long before the door opens. My eyes look Dean up and down, suddenly happy that Kassian made me wear a polo and a nice pair of jeans.

Dean is still wearing his outfit from the library. He’s wearing a baby blue button up with a tan cardigan overtop. He looks adorably snuggable.