Thrive (Addicted, #4)(5)

“I’m okay now,” I say, more assuredly. I can do this. Sex starts to drift in the back of my mind. I hear the phrase: I don’t want to live if you’re not living with me.

I can’t lose Lo. I just can’t.

He scans my features and then kisses my forehead before helping me step into my shorts. Another knock beats against the door. This time, it’s way angrier. “Someone’s in here!” Lo yells back.

The person calls through the wood, the rough voice too familiar, “Your food is getting cold.” I thought Ryke would say something like: You better not be screwing in there. But I remember that there are hoards of people outside, and he doesn’t want to air our dirty laundry.

“I’m still talking to my girlfriend,” Lo shoots back. “Start eating without us, bro.”

I imagine Ryke rolling his eyes. “Is that all you’re doing in there?”

“Yes,” Lo growls. “Fucking Christ, leave us alone for a goddamn minute.”

“I’ve left you alone for twenty minutes,” Ryke retorts, jiggling the knob. “Are you going to let me in?”

“No,” Lo snaps, now facing the door like he’s battling with it and not Ryke on the other side. “I’ll be out in a second.”

I finish dressing, and then I comb my hands through my post-sex hair.

“You have thirty seconds,” Ryke says. “And I’m actually fucking timing you.”

Lo clenches his teeth so hard, restraining from spouting off a string of insults. His hands ball into fists by his side, and it looks painful for him to just slowly turn around and face me, trying to be a better person and leave a fight behind.

My cheeks start to heat with anxiety. “You think they’ll ever find out?” I whisper.

With tension still constricting his muscles, he draws me to his body and wraps his arm around my bony shoulder. “We’re good at keeping secrets,” he murmurs. “How is this one any different?”

Right. I exhale deeply, wiping some of the wetness by my eyes. Curse Wednesday. That moment still feels fresh, even remembering brings waterworks.

“It helps that you look upset,” Lo tells me under his breath. “He’ll believe we were just talking.”

Good.

No one knows we’re having more sex.

Not my sisters.

Not his brother.

Not Connor or even our therapist.

We don’t think they’ll understand, and we’re both exhausted from all the voices in our lives. For once, we just want to do this together. Alone.

Lily and Lo.

Like it was before.

Only better this time.

We’re stronger now.

Lo unlocks the door, but Ryke is the one to open it. The chatter from the crowded diner almost blasts me backwards, but Lo keeps me close. I realize that they’re both glaring at each other—that is until Ryke scrutinizes me, trying to spot the stain of debauchery on my clothes.

My jeans are zipped and my shirt is straight and wrinkle-free, thank you very much.

“We were just talking,” Lo snaps.

Either Ryke trusts Lo enough to believe him or Ryke has very bad sleuthing skills. He could never be a private investigator. Maybe ditching journalism was a good idea.

His concern shifts off his younger brother and pins to me. “You okay?” He even takes a step closer, and at the nearness, the girls in the room shriek uncontrollably and start clapping.

Someone yells, “Love triangle!”

Oh my God. No, no, no. I push Ryke back with two firm palms, and he raises his hands in defense.

Ryke sighs heavily, almost growling, and agitation hardens his jaw. “So now I can’t even be concerned about you?”

“I’m not cheating on Lo with you.” I hope everyone in Lucky’s heard that. I almost want to stand on a chair and scream it. That’s something my little sister, Daisy, would definitely do. But while the idea sounds awesome, I can’t bring myself to execute the task.

What if someone throws a hamburger patty at me? Oh my God—what if they chucked a hot dog at my face? That would be my luck.

“Lily!” Lo shouts. He shakes my shoulder. “Calm down.”

“I…I am calm.” Am I not calm?

“You’re panting like you’re being chased.”

I glance between the two guys who’ve blocked my view of the diner with their bodies, literally creating a manly wall right in front of me. I’d find it sexy if I didn’t know what was behind them.

And then someone else shouts, “Three-way!”

Oh my God. No. I start, “I am not having sex with—”

“Let it go,” Lo tells me with a dark gaze, matching his brother’s. “You can scream and shout but those tabloids are going to run a fake story tomorrow and the next day. I want to fucking eat.” He turns to Ryke. “Do you?”

Ryke nods. “Yeah I’m fucking starved.”

Lo looks to me again. “I’m not letting anyone run us out.”

They’ve teamed up against me.

I think I like when they’re united more than when they’re against each other. It gives me the confidence I need to trek over to the booth, sit down, and order the food I want.

A hot dog.





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