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" ’Course I need you You’re the love of , butI can’t even roll my eyes," she murhtened around me

I lifted my hand to her forearm and squeezed back

Her face was buried inher voice "I can always count on you for a bear hug when I need it enuine "Is this your version of one of , and it really doesn’ton the floor"

I squeezed her arm once more, and said, "Exactly what I needed, Grey"

She releasedon h "It wasn’t one of your bone-crushing, breath-stealing hugs, but I tried"

We laid there in silence for a few minutes asthe darkness above us

I openedI didn’t want to allow to leave ive them poould make all of the chaos in my mind real

"I said you didn’t have to tell me if you weren’t ready, but I know you’re ready So this is ed at ain "She went on a date tonight" The words finally tumbled out before I could stop them

I felt Grey nod "So I heard And, no, before you ask, I don’t knoho she ith I found out after you did But I also heard that you had a, uh--you hadyou had time with soag sounded next to h, God You, Graha to throw up"

I didn’t respond, because at that ain My head needed so hard to come in contact with

"Deac, tell ht"

"It doesn’t" My reply was instant; the lie was thick on ue, and more than obvious to Grey

"I’m almost positive I know the answer, but I think you need to hear yourself say it So why does it matter?"

Christ, why did Grey have to know the three of us so well? Knox kept Harlow from Graham and me, but hadn’t been able to keep her from Grey And I knew Graham and I were the same--we couldn’t keep shit from Grey because she already knew it anyway She knew us better than we knew ourselves

"I have no damn clue," I said honestly "I don’t understand it"

"Not a whole lot to understand," GreyCharlie, Grey Charlie"

"And?"

"She doesn’t talk to anyone"

"She talks to me," Grey countered

"Well, she can’t stand me"

"You are kind of obnoxious"

I let her joke roll off without so much as a hint of a smile "She would hide behind her books if she could"