"Oh, Bennett, I forgot to give you this," I said, handing him his father's business card.

He stared down at it, mouth open, about to take a bite of his mashed potatoes. He set the fork down. "Did you have to bring that up while we're eating?"

My eyes widened and I retracted the business card. "Oh. Oops."

"And people said I was ignorant," he said, eyebrows raised.

"Maybe I'm picking up your bad habits."

"I only have good habits, Henley."

I tried to think of a bad habit to point out, but couldn't think of one light-hearted enough. Most of Bennett's bad habits were from trauma. I couldn't fault him on them. Nor would I want to.

"I will take that, though," he said, holding out his palm. "Even if I don't want to speak with him, Lee is much more soft-hearted than I am, and most likely will want to."

"Has Lee contacted you yet?" I slid the card over to him. "Henry said he hasn't been home."

"No." Bennett frowned. "But I am sure if I texted him he would respond. Right now, though, I think we should give him space."

"Yeah, I agree. Poor Henry, though."

"It is strange that Lee would avoid Henry. I know that you are always the first person I want to see when I feel upset."

I thought it was weird, too. Wasn't it natural to want comfort from your partner? It hurt to be shut out. But I could also understand wanting to deal with things alone.

"Were your professors okay with you missing class today?" he asked, completely changing the topic.

I went along with it. "Yeah, I e-mailed them and said there was an emergency. It's fine. I can just make up their work," I explained. "Ariana said she'd share her notes with me."

Bennett picked up his knife, contemplating it. "I wish this hadn't interfered in your studies. I know that they're important to you and you already feel behind compared to everyone else."

"It's one absence. I'm allowed four. And you're more important to me than perfect attendance."

"I had perfect attendance in college," he told me.

I smiled wryly. "That's great. Good job."

True to his nature, Bennett nodded, missing my sarcasm. "Thank you. I think it reflects positively on yourself for future opportunities."

"Is that so?"

"There is a reason why some employment questionnaires ask about your attendance."

"And does your company look into that?"

He nodded. "Yes, for the entry-level hotel employees. For higher positions, we base off of previous job attendance through references."

"Hmm, then I wonder what my boss would say about me missing a day of class," I wondered out loud, taking a sip of my water. "I heard he had perfect attendance."

Comprehension dawned on Bennett's face. "Ah. Well. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"I understand the thought process behind checking people's attendance, but as you can see, there are so many reasons why someone might have to miss a day of work or class," I said. "Is it really fair to base a job opportunity off that?"

"...I see your point."

"Also, don't you leave work early, like, half the time?"

"I don't anymore," he denied immediately.

I waved my hand in a you-see gesture. "Don't you think employers need to follow the same expectations they set on their employees?"

Bennett brought a hand to his chin. "You're right. I'll bring this up with HR. I always appreciate your insight, Henley. Although too many days absent remains a red flag."

"Yeah, that part seems fair."

"Yes, so maybe we could talk to the hiring managers and have them only inquire if a certain amount is present— no. No business talk at home," he cut himself off. "I just want to enjoy my time with you. How did we get to talking about this?"

Was he really able to enjoy time with me with everything else going on? He seemed alright, eating and acting normally, but wasn't he thinking about his father at all? How was he able to keep that off his mind? Even I kept going back to it. "Because of me missing class, but let's forget that."

"Have you put any thought into what degree you'd like?" he asked.

I cut up a piece of steak. "Uh. Not really."

"That's probably something better to decide sooner or later."

"I mean I can just continue to do my basic classes and labs for at least this year."

"You don't have any idea of what you want to do?"

I chewed slowly, staring at Bennett, who blinked back at me, oblivious. "No. You ask me this almost every day."

"I'm just curious. If there truly isn't anything you want to do, you could just stay at home."

"Stay home?" I repeated, nearly choking as I swallowed.

"Stay at home wives are popular among my colleagues—"

"The last thing I want to do is live off your money," I interjected. "Some people might want that lifestyle, but I don't. What if we break up? Then I'm screwed."

Bennett's eyes widened fractionally. "We're not going to break up, are we?"

"I mean I hope not," I said quickly. "But I can't just rely on you like that. I want to be able to support myself, too."

"If we're married and then divorced, you would have a claim to some of my wealth. You wouldn't have to worry about not having money again," he said casually.

"Bennett. Are you listening to yourself?" I asked, mouth falling open. No wonder Sebastian had been so worried about Bennett when we first met! Bennett could have easily been swindled by someone who wanted his money. Even now, he looked more upset about the idea of us breaking up than losing his money unfairly. "When we get married, we should probably sign a prenup."

"Absolutely not," he responded firmly.

"But—"

"I trust you, Henley," he said, reaching across the table to take my hand in his. "I love you. And I can't foresee any reason why we would come to hate each other so much that I wouldn't want to help you out even if we break up."

I fell silent, letting his fingers entwine with mine. What had I done to make him trust me so much? It didn't make sense. I barely trusted myself. Yet Bennett offered his like it was nothing.

"I just want you to know you have options," he continued. "So you can think about what you want to do without feeling pressured."

"Then maybe we can start with you not asking me about what degree I want every day," I said light-heartedly.

Bennett nodded, flushing a little. "Sorry. That is a little pressuring, isn't it? I just asked to keep my thoughts from returning to my father and that was the first thing I thought of."

"Oh, in that case, I guess I can go through options with you—"

"No, it's fine. We don't have to talk about that," he said. "But I did have another question. Am I not paying you enough to be my secretary?"

I almost snorted. "What? I'm pretty sure you're paying me too much, Bennett."

"Then why don't you want to continue working for me?"

"I just don't feel like being a secretary is fulfilling, I guess," I told him. "I think I would hate it if I were working under anyone besides you. For now, though, I'm fine there. It's more money than I feel like I'll ever make again."

"I see..." His eyebrows furrowed and he released my hand, bringing his own hand back to his lap. He looked a bit put out. Did he think I would want to be his secretary forever?

"I like seeing you in an office setting though," I said casually.

He perked up. "Really?"

"Oh, yeah. Sometimes I forget that you're the CEO. Seeing you at work with all your employees listening to you and looking to you for guidance surprises me. You are kind of different when you're around them compared to when you're with me or even Lee or Sebastian."

"In a bad way?" he asked, suddenly sounding worried.

"No. It's sexy. All that confidence and authority."

He sat up straighter, breathing hitching. "Really?"

I nodded, biting back a smile. I'd come to realize complimenting Bennett made him give some of the cutest reactions. He seemed to revel in flattery. And if he wanted a distraction, what better way than to boost his self-esteem at the same time? "Definitely. Although you're always handsome, anyway. Especially when your shirt is unbuttoned a little."

He cleared his throat, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt, and pushing his hair back out of his face. I pressed the heel of my palm to my mouth to keep from laughing. He was cute.

A pleased expression remained on his face as we finished dinner and all the way until we settled in on the couch to catch up on the current Netflix show we were watching together. Bennett's how was always too cold for me so as the night went on, I eventually threw a blanket over my shoulders before pressing myself closer to him. He threw me an amused glance, somehow unaffected by the chill, and lifted my legs over his lap, pulling me close so he could get under the blanket too.

"I wish you'd turn on the heat," I said, welcoming the warmth from his body.

"It's on. I keep the house at the best temperature for sound sleep."

"More like best temperature to freeze to death in your sleep."

"Maybe I keep it cold so you'll sit close to me like this."

I eyed him, briefly considering it as something he would do. Bennett was surprisingly clingy. I'd begun to notice it after his mother was sentenced. Or maybe he was like that before and it'd just increased since then.

"I like it when you look at me like that," he said, eyes crinkling at the edges.

"Like what?"

"Like you're caught between thinking what's-wrong-with-this-man and also thinking but-this-is-the-man-I-love."

I grinned. "Do I look at you like that a lot?"

"You gave me that look when we first met. Except it was just the what's-wrong-with-this-man part."

"I certainly did think that," I agreed, thinking back to that fateful night at Michelangelo's. "You said your hands were dainty."

Bennett held up his hand, examining it musingly. "I did."

"Not much has changed about that."

"That I'm dainty?"

"Yeah—"

Without warning he shoved me down on the couch, splaying out my hands above my head and holding them there. I blinked up at him, caught off guard, my hair falling in my face. He smirked down at me. "Still think I'm dainty?"

"I was mostly kidding," I told him. "But I don't mind this position, though. What else can you do to me to prove your strength?"

His cheeks colored. "H-Henley."

"What? You're the one who put me in this position," I said.

He let go of my wrists but didn't attempt to move away. Instead, he straddled my waist, putting his weight on his legs on either side of me so he wouldn't crush me. I stared up at him, a flutter going through my chest. Gone were the traces of his blush, now replaced by a determined focus.

My mouth went dry as he brushed the hair out of my face, his body pressing down on mine as he brought his face closer. I closed my eyes, tilting my head up, waiting. Expecting.

But when his lips didn't meet mine, I opened one eye. He looked down at me, a teasing smile on his face. "What are you doing? Why did you close your eyes?"

Now I blushed. "Do it properly or don't do it at all."

"Do what?"

I wasn't playing this game. I lifted one of my hands and gripped the back of his head, fingers feathering through his soft hair. He made a contented noise and I pulled down, pressing his lips to mine. He responded in kind, kissing me back softly, and I released his hair, wrapping my arms around his back instead. His hand came up to my cheek, cupping it, and holding my face still as he deepened the kiss, parting my lips.

My phone went off then and Bennett pulled back, glancing at me questioningly. I shook my head, deciding to ignore it. Whoever it was could wait. We were busy. I pulled him back to me and shifted my body so I could press it flush against his. He groaned and slid a hand under my shirt, his cold fingers tracing the skin under my bra. I kissed him again, hard and deep, enjoying the feeling of heat rushing through my body.

Just as Bennett's hand grazed the top of my chest, my phone went off again. Bennett stopped again, handing lifting off my skin. I grabbed his hand and pressed it firmly against my breast. He got the hint and decided to go straight for my bra clasp instead. I arched my back so he could reach it more easily, also successfully pressing myself against him, making him swallow audibly.

When my phone went off a third time, I groaned in frustration. I reached above me blindly for it, trying not to move. Whoever was texting me better have had a good reason. I eventually found it and brought it to my face, doing a double-take when I realized all three messages were from Lee. I opened the conversation between us, scanning over the texts.

Are you busy?

Can I come over to your place for a little bit?

I really need someone to talk to. Not Bennett or Henry.

"Who is it?" Bennett asked, hair falling in his face as he hovered over me, looking a little frustrated himself now.

I sat up, my stomach twisting, forcing Bennett to sit back on his calves. "It's Lee."

The annoyance at being interrupted slipped off Bennett's face, replaced with concern. "What did he say?"

"He wants to see me," I told him, typing a text back to Lee.

I'll be home in fifteen minutes.

Lee's response was immediate as if he were waiting for me to answer.

Okay, I'll wait for you.

"I'm going to go meet with him," I said, sliding my legs out from under him and swinging them off the couch.

"I'll go with you," Bennett responded, pushing himself off the couch as well.

I hesitated. "I think he just wants to talk to me alone."

"Why?"

"I don't know. But he texted me, not you or Henry. I think maybe you should just stay here."

A crease appeared between Bennett's brows, but he didn't try to argue it. "I'll stay, then. Tell Lee I'd like to hear from him, too, though."

I grabbed my keys and jacket from the kitchen, walking with Bennett up to the front door. I slipped on my shoes, turning up to Bennett to kiss him goodbye. I tried for just a quick peck, but he brought his hands to my face, holding me in place so he could give me a longer kiss. "Will you come back here after you're done?" he asked when he pulled away.

"If it's late I might stay home," I said.

"But you said you'd stay over tonight."

"I know, but I don't know how late Lee will be over for and we have to go to work in the morning anyway."

"I'll pick you up if you don't want to drive back. Just text me when everything is all set."

I stared at him for a moment. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking at me expectantly. Did he want me to stay over that bad? Why? It was already almost ten at night. Bennett liked to go to bed before midnight. Even if I was only with Lee for an hour, I'd just be coming back to go to sleep. But I didn't have time to debate over this right now. "Okay, I'll text you later."

When I arrived home, Lee's Maserati was already parked in my driveway. I parked behind him, hurrying out of my car. Lee was sitting in his car in the dark and I knocked on the window softly, but still ended up startling him. He unbuckled and I stepped back so he could open the door.

"How are you doing?" I asked him.

Instead of answering, he surprised me by wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me tightly. He craned his neck down so his chin rested on the top of my head. "Bad."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't stop thinking."

I rubbed his back, feeling my heart clench. Whatever his father told him was really eating him up. Why didn't he want to talk to Lee or Henry about it? "About what?"

"Let's go inside first."

"Gross, get a room, you guys."

I jumped a little, glancing behind me toward the front door, and saw Brandon standing on the steps. "Brandon!"

Lee looked at him too and my brother cocked his head to the side, hands shoved in the pocket of his hoodie, and grinned. "Oh. Wrong brother. Hey, Lee."

I wanted to smack him. He didn't know how to read the mood. I gave him a hard look as Lee and I walked up the path to him, but to Brandon's credit, he instantly lost the good humor in his face when he saw Lee's expression. Lee still gave him a tired smile. "Hey, Brandon."

"What's wrong, man?"

Lee drew in a long breath. "It's... complicated."

Brandon threw an arm over Lee's shoulder, pulling him close. "Is it something I can solve with my fists?"

"I wish it were that easy."

"I made a few pals in prison, you know. Wasn't a totally worthless time. I have connections now."

"To what. The mafia?" I asked flatly.

Brandon lifted his shoulders and dropped them. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"You shouldn't get involved with people like that," Lee said seriously. "It may be romanticized in fiction, but the reality is gruesome and horrifying."

Brandon and I exchanged a quizzical glance and he patted Lee's back comfortingly. "Ah, I was just kidding."

"Oh." Lee dropped his head. "Okay."

Again, Brandon and I looked at each other in alarm. Why did that make him seem upset? Lee sat down on our couch, hands clasped together on his thighs, expression miserable. Brandon went into the kitchen to bring him something to drink and I took a seat next to him, my body feeling stiff. Seeing Lee upset was like seeing a sad puppy. It just wasn't right.

"I know you're wondering why I don't go to Henry about this," Lee spoke, fiddling with his fingers.

"I am a little."

"It's because I'm embarrassed. No. That's not quite right. I'm mortified."

"You're embarrassed?" I repeated. "Why?"

"Because after hearing what my father had to say, I realize now the reason behind all my mother's actions."

What? What could his father possibly have said to him that made him think that? Ms. Calloway had issues. Wasn't that all there was to it? "Lee, whatever that reason is, you have no reason to be embarrassed," I told him. "What your mother did was vile and wrong."

"She's not."

"What?"

Lee stared down at his hands. "She's not my mother."

"She— what?" I gasped, my hand shooting up to my mouth. "What? What did your father say to you?"

Lee's Adam's apple bobbed. "That she is not my real mother."

I didn't know what to say. My mind went blank. Mrs. Calloway wasn't Lee's mother? I almost couldn't believe it. "How is that possible?"

"My father said that shortly after my birth mother passed, he met my moth... her." Lee's jaw clenched. "And my father asked her to raise me as her own son and to keep the fact that she wasn't my birth mother from me."

Brandon rushed back into the room, his arms full of drinks. He dropped them all on the coffee table unceremoniously making an incredible amount of noise. A bottle of beer rolled off and landed on Lee's foot. "Sorry, I didn't know what you'd want," he said to Lee, slightly out of breath.

I resisted the urge to groan. He really had impeccable timing. Lee reached down and retrieved the beer. Then he placed the neck of it against the coffee table upright, slamming his heel down on the cap and popping it off. I watched, slightly impressed, slightly worried, as he brought the bottle up to his lips and began to down it.

"Um. Lee, I don't think—" I began, but Brandon cut me off.

"Chug it! Man, I haven't seen you do that in like a year!" he cheered Lee on. "I'll join you if you came to drink your feelings away."

I gave Brandon the universal sign for don't even think about it, but it was too late. Brandon opened his own beer bottle with his bare hands, making Lee do a double-take. He swallowed audibly before speaking. "How did you do that?" Lee asked.

"Oh, this trick?" Brandon held up his hand, showing the ring on his middle finger. "You use the ring. Looks like I did it with my bare hands, huh?"

"That's useful."

"Right? Drink up! Vent it all out. Like the good old times!"

I balked. Wasn't Brandon being insensitive? I faced Lee again, but Lee looked determined, not upset, nodding his head. "Yes, Brandon, you can listen too. It's only Henry and Bennett I don't want to know."

"Why don't you want them to know?" Brandon asked, taking a sip of his beer. "Henley, you should drink one."

"No, I don't really think I should—"

"Come on, Henley," Lee said, giving me puppy-dog eyes. "Don't let us drink alone."

Was this peer-pressuring? I knew I should say no, but I gave in, taking the beer offered to me by Brandon. I didn't even like beer. I didn't even like drinking that much, to begin with. But I still brought it to my lips, nose crinkling at the smell. The taste was just as bad as I tasted it cautiously.

"I know they're worried for me," Lee said after finishing his first beer. Brandon passed him another. "But I don't want them to know. The way she treated me my whole life. The way I was never good enough for anything. Those... accidents between us. I didn't really think anything of it. I wasn't defending her or hiding it. I really just thought it was me. That I would never be enough for her. And that was why I was treated that way. But now I see that I could never be enough. Never. I'm not even her son."

Brandon nearly spat out his drink. "What? When did that happen?"

"Today," I said shortly.

"Oh my God. Does the drama ever end?"

I shot him a look and he closed his mouth.

Lee didn't seem to notice our exchange, distracted by his drink. "I'm so ashamed. How can I face them? Everything that happened all this time has happened because I'm not her son? All the hardship Bennett and Henry went through was because of me. I didn't even know it. I was too stupid to realize there was a deeper reason as to why I was treated like that."

"That's bullshit," Brandon and I cried at the same time.

Lee glanced between us, eyes wide. "What?"

"How is this your fault at all?" Brandon demanded. "Why are you like that? Why do you take the blame for every situation?"

"Yeah, Lee. None of this is your fault. Nothing ever was. You not being that woman's son doesn't have anything to do with it. In fact, it just makes her more of an awful person. You thought of her as your mother and loved her this whole time and she clearly didn't think the same of you. You did your best to be a good son to her."

Lee held his bottle of beer tighter. "I was nothing but an outsider and a burden to her. No wonder she wanted to get rid of me."

"Lee," I said, my heart dropping into my stomach.

"But I loved her. I still love her. I thought she was my mother for all these years. But did she ever love me?" Lee continued, draping his arm over his eyes and letting his head fall back. "Did she think of me as her son at all? Or did she secretly hate me this entire time? I can't stop these thoughts. And when I think like this, I feel embarrassed. Because I still followed after her and clung to her. No matter what she did to me."

Brandon frowned. "I get why you're thinking like that, but you shouldn't feel embarrassed, Lee."

"But I also think of what Henry saw. What he knew. I ignored him. But doesn't that make everything make sense? I've seen news articles like this. The reason why I was the only target for her physical abuse," Lee continued, voice dropping. "I acted like it was nothing. I made him worry. How can I tell him the truth? He'll know. He'll realize that's the reason she did it. What if he asks why I didn't stand up for myself? I can't use that she's my mother as an excuse anymore."

"Lee," I said firmly, pulling his arm away from his face. "Stop. Henry would never say that to you. You know that. You didn't stand up for yourself because someone you loved and respected betrayed you. No one should have to go through that. Your mother is the only person in the wrong here. You don't need an excuse because you did nothing wrong."

Lee bit his lip. "I know that. I know that, so why can't I stop this feeling of shame? I'm scared that they'll look at me differently. What will Bennett say?"

"That it doesn't matter who your mother is, you're still his favorite brother," I said immediately.

"I'm his only brother," Lee pointed out, hunching his shoulders.

"Exactly, Lee. You're his only brother. Nothing will change that. Those two are worried about you, you know. I know you're afraid of their reactions, but right now they're also afraid of you shutting them out," I said gently. "Especially Henry."

Lee took another big gulp of his beer. "You're right. Why am I like this?"

"Because you care," Brandon said, getting Lee's attention. "I know it's not exactly the same, but when I was put in jail, I was terrified too. That Henley wouldn't believe me and would hate me. It scared me, even though I knew deep inside that Henley would never hate me. But I couldn't stop that thought. It haunted me. Even if Henley talked to me and told me it was okay, I couldn't believe it. That even if my innocence was proven, it might be too late, and she would hate me. I was scared of losing her. And when you love someone so strongly you begin overthinking things. So, I don't think that you're line of thinking is unnatural, Lee. There's nothing wrong with you."

I froze, never have hearing Brandon say anything like that before. Brandon refused to meet my eye, cheeks blazing red. It took me a second to say something. "What? Brandon! Why would you ever think that?"

"I just explained that," he muttered.

"What the hell?" I said, hating the way my throat closed up. I didn't do touching moments with Brandon. "Why didn't you say something? You really thought that? I would have shut down those thoughts immediately if you'd just asked!"

Brandon squeezed his eyes shut and drank the rest of his beer in one go. "Okay, stop. I didn't say that to make things mushy between us. I'm trying to help Lee."

"Yeah, but—"

"I get it now," Lee admitted, a gentle expression on his face. "Keeping it to myself is just causing stress all around. I'll talk to Bennett and Henry. Tomorrow, though. I'm still wrapping my mind around things. And I need to mentally prepare myself."

"Maybe send them a text for now?" I suggested. "Especially Henry."

Lee rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I should. I even snapped at him earlier. I need to apologize."

"And drink another beer," Brandon said, replacing Lee's empty one yet again. "De-stress, you know."

Lee nodded, downing half the bottle in one go. "Why would my father lie to me about something like this?"

Brandon nodded back at him, lips pressed together. "Yeah, man, that's messed up."

"Did my father think I wouldn't be able to handle it? He had so many chances to tell me."

"He underestimated you. I know it would have been a shock, but you're the type to be able to handle things like that, right?" Brandon responded.

"I am," Lee agreed. "I mean, I don't even really feel anything about finding out my father who was supposed to be dead is actually alive."

"Yeah, man— wait, what?" Brandon's head jerked toward me, face twisted in a comical amount of surprise.

I just drank my beer, trying not to make a face at the taste, really not wanting to explain that plot twist.

"You know, a part of me is relieved I'm not her son," Lee spoke, suddenly serious again. "I could never really wrap my mind around why my mother would treat me like that, no matter how many excuses I made for her. And I know she still treated Bennett awful, too, but not to the same extent. And I'm glad about that. I'm glad it was me. And now that I know the full truth, I can begin to understand why things happened the way they did."

"Lee, no," I started.

Brandon suddenly engulfed Lee in a hug. "I understand that feeling. Sometimes I think what if it was Henley that was in my position and I hate it. I'd go to jail a hundred times if it meant it never happened to her. That's part of being an older brother. You're a good older brother, Lee."

"It's something the younger ones will never understand," Lee said, hugging Brandon back. "You're a good older brother, too."

"Only we can understand each other."

"It's true. And Brandon, I'm sorry again," Lee said, pulling back a bit. "What I did to you seems to still be on your mind."

"You didn't do that to me," Brandon said firmly. "We've been over this. That dumb bitch did."

Lee flinched at Brandon's word choice, but for the first time, did not say something in Mrs. Calloway's defense.

I gripped my chest. It hurt to realize that, but not because I wanted him to defend her. But because it was clear Lee had already begun to cut himself free from her. And that was a good thing, but I knew it had to tear him up. He loved her.

"You know I'll still do anything to make it up to you," Lee promised after a moment.

"Oh, yeah? The Maserati wasn't enough?"

"No."

"Okay, I want a Tesla, too."

"What model?"

"Brandon," I interjected. "Don't."

Brandon rolled his eyes at me. "I'm just kidding."

Lee pulled away from Brandon quickly as if just realizing he was still hugging him. "Oh. Sorry. I get kind of clingy when I drink."

I thought of the last time I saw Bennett drunk. He definitely got clingy, too. Must run in the family.

"That's okay. That's cute," Brandon said.

"Huh? Cute?" Lee's cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry. I'm taken."

"What? I can't compliment you without ulterior motives?" Brandon asked dryly. "I already have a complicated love life, thanks."

"Oh, with Sebastian?"

"Ariana," Brandon corrected.

"Oh, right. I knew that."

Brandon grinned. "Silly Lee."

"Oh, God," I groaned, rubbing my forehead. "Are you guys already drunk?"

"It's been a while since I drank last," Brandon said, smothering a burp with his hand. "I don't remember being this much of a lightweight."

Lee hummed in agreement. "I don't either. But I certainly feel it."

"You're sober, Henley?"

"Well, I—"

"I have just the thing," Brandon said evilly.

I could have denied Brandon's nefarious plans, but Lee looked like he was having fun. The color was back in his cheeks, the smile in his eyes. The tension gone from his body. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was finally getting everything off his chest, but I didn't mind taking part in whatever I could do for it to stay that way. I was just happy he was feeling better.

The rest of the night went by in a blur and the next thing I knew, I was scared awake by a pounding at the front door. My hair stuck to my face as I pushed myself up, realizing I'd fallen asleep on the ground in front of my couch. I looked up to see Brandon and Lee both still asleep on the couch, somehow both crammed onto it. Lee's feet hung over the armrest and I had to resist taking a picture.

Another knock from the door made me hurry to it, trying to smooth my hair down as much as possible. What time even was it? Who was knocking? Did they not realize there was a doorbell?

I swung the door open to find Henry and Bennett on the steps, both looking a little rumpled, as if they rushed here, their faces ashen. My heart rate increased. Why did they look so worried?

"What's wrong?" I asked, feeling nauseous. Brandon and Lee were with me. What could be wrong? Had something happened to Ariana?

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Bennett snapped. "I tried calling you all night and figured you just fell asleep, but then you didn't show up for work. What happened, Henley? You really couldn't at least text me?"

I froze.

Crap.

Author's Note:

Hello, friends! 

I swear I'm going to get more regular on these updates. Probably Sundays from now on. I just want to be upfront and say that paid work and my other book come before this update. But I'm still going to try and update weekly! I have this problem where I want chapters to be 5k words and it's actually quite a bit of time to write that. So I'm trying to write shorter ones. Spoiler alert: you probably figured out this one was still at 5k lol.

In other news, I made the characters of Hired to Love in Zepeto at work because I am a slacker sometimes. These are just for fun. You're free to imagine the characters any way you like.

You might know, but top to bottom, left to right is: Ariana, Lee, Henry, Henley, Bennett, Sebastian, and Brandon. (Yes, Sebastian has long hair now. You can blame Hyunjin, Xion, Hanse, JB, Hongjoong, Felix, Yeonjun... should I go on?... For that.) Tala and Cara would be here, too, but you have to pay mone for extra characters lol.