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“Violet!” Pru whisper-yells from the other side. “Violet! Open this door, I need to talk to you! Now.”

“I’ll be right there!”

I slip on one of my purple dresses from the wardrobe while Cain jumps into his clothes from last night. My hair could use a brush, but I don’t have time for that. She’ll start drawing too much attention if I don’t let her in soon.

When I go for the handle, Cain covers my hand with his, then guides me behind him. He opens the door halfway and leans on the frame.

“Well, good morning to you, Prudence. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

I cover my mouth, biting my lip to fight off laughter. These two get at each other like real brother and sister.

Pru’s eyes widen, her mouth agape.

“Oh. My. God. I knew you two were fucking behind our backs.” She sounds absolutely horrified.

“Well, not exactly.” He lifts a shoulder and crosses his legs at the ankle.

“What?” Her question is quick, barely intelligible.

“The fucking only started last night,” Cain says with a smirk.

“Oh God.” She scrunches her nose, her upper lip lifting in disgust. “Violet!” Pru opens the door further as she brushes past Cain, who is chuckling under his breath. “Tell him to leave. I need to talk to you. Alone.”

“Whoa.” Cain shifts from the door frame in our direction. “Since when do you not tell me everything? Even the things I don’t want to hear?”

Pru looks at me with the eyes of a sad puppy. I step in front of Cain, placing my hands over his abs. He tenses but doesn’t remove them like he always used to.

“Have a good day, I’ll see you tonight.” This softens him. He leans down, kisses my cheek, then nods at Pru with a smirk before leaving us alone.

Not a full second after the door shuts behind him, Pru grabs my shoulders and spins me around.

“I spent the night with Cal,” she blurts, “and this morning I agreed to marry him.”

“Wow.” I’m taken aback. They have been subtly flirting with each other over the past couple of years. However, I didn’t think anything had escalated to this. Actually, based on her frantic energy, I think this is a surprise to her as well.

“I don’t know that I can do this.” She falls back onto the bed before scrambling back up and into the bedside chair. “Oh no, it smells like him, it’s been tainted! I really am happy for you, but I can never sit in your bed again.”

I shake my head. I know it doesn’t feel that way to her, but her dramatic nature is amusing. Taking a seat next to her, I tap on her shoulder to bring her attention to me. She doesn’t like touch, but now and then she needs it, so she doesn’t slip into her frenzy. She looks at me with those puppy eyes again, scared, helpless.

“I’m so fucked up. He has no idea how much. I can’t trap him like this.” Her words come out in rapid fire.

“Hey, slow down.” I tap her shoulder three more times. “Just because you have unique struggles does not mean you are fucked up. You’re not trapping him. Do you want help telling him?” She shakes her head so fast it would make anyone else dizzy.

“I’ll do it… But… Violet, he’s going to change his mind. And then even our friendship will be ruined. I won’t be able to face him again. I’ll-I’ll.”

“Shh.” I press my finger to her lips. “You don’t know that. But you do know Cal. Does he really seem like someone who would make anything uncomfortable? Even if he did change his mind about marriage?”

“No, he’s the best.”

“Then even though it’s hard right now, you need to have faith. Faith that everything will work out. I’m here for you, alright?” She swallows, then reaches out and grabs my hand, gripping me like a vice. And I let her for as long as she needs.

I stayed with Pru for three hours before she was good to go off on her own, then left for the clinic for a full afternoon of appointments. A note came in from Dean for us to all meet him at his place for dinner, that’s where I’m going now. His apartment is on the second floor of the theater. It’s a decent size, with three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. He moved in with the previous owner after beginning his job in the kitchen.

Through the kitchen, out the back door, then through the door on the left to the staircase. I let myself into the unit; it’s left unlocked for us. But he has given me a key of my own, in case I ever need a place to go.

Whew! I haven’t even turned from shutting the door when I’m thrown into the wall, the air knocked from my lungs, and Cain’s on me. My legs wrap around his hips as he presses against me, sandwiching me between him and the wall. He attacks my neck, grabbing my hair and tugging it down, forcing me to give him better access as he kisses, sucks, and bites me.

“Stop it, you exhibitionist!” Pru yells from the bar in Dean’s kitchen.