Page 7 of Claiming Lily

I catch her wrist and pull her to a stop. Her mouth drops open, surprise flickering across her features. “We’re mad at Matt, not you. You shouldn’t have to stay the night in a place like this.”

She shrugs, trying to play it off. “It’s fine. Really. I’ll get an apartment, this is temporary.”

“You’re not staying here again.” The words come out sharp and I know the moment they do that it was the wrong thing to say. I know I should never talk to her like that. I don’t know what the hell has gotten into me. Probably that massive, asteroid sized crush that I’ve had for years. Probably that unreasonable sense of possessiveness unfurling in my chest because if Matt won’t take care of her, I fucking will.

Her eyebrow arches, and there’s fire in her green eyes. “Excuse me?”

“Stay with us,” Gage jumps in, drawing her attention away from me. “We have a spare room and it’s safer.”

“I don’t need your pity.” The defensiveness in her voice makes my chest ache.

I brush my thumb along her pulse point, her heartbeat fluttering at the touch. Her gaze snaps back to mine. Good girl. Eyes on me.

“It’s not pity. We wouldn’t stay in a house under construction. You shouldn’t either. We have a spare room. Let us help you.”

The silence stretches between us, heavy with possibility. Cole shifts beside me. Gage holds his breath. I try not to think too hard about why we’re all desperate for her to say yes.

Chapter Three

LILY

After that offer, I had to sit down. Stay with my ex-boyfriend’s best friends?

This is too much. I need caffeine. I take a sip of the drink the guys brought me, then stare down at the coffee in shock. A latte with oat milk. The warmth seeps through the cardboard cup and sinks into my chest. They even got me a vegan donut which sits in its little paper bag beside me.

“How did you guys know I’m dairy free?”

Hudson shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “We’ve been paying attention. You found out about your lactose intolerance right after you started dating Matt.”

A familiar ache settles in my stomach. How many times did I wish that he’d care? I frown, picking at the edge of the cup sleeve. “He never remembered.”

Finding out I was lactose intolerant was rough. It could’ve been worse, sure, but for a while there, my diet turned depressing. I still miss cheese. You’d think Matt would have given a shit about something that important, but every single time he got coffee, he always ordered regular milk.

Every. Damn. Time.

Dick.

Silence stretches between us, heavy and awkward. I can feel their focus on me, probably wondering if I’m about to cry, except my eyes are dry. I gave too many of my tears to Matt while we were dating. I’m not giving him any more.

Instead of saying anything about that particular disaster, Hudson clears his throat. “So will you stay with us?”

I take another gulp, nerves fluttering. “What about Matt?”

The three of them trade looks and shrug like it’s the simplest thing in the world.

“We’ll handle it.” Cole’s voice is confident. Unbothered.

They make it sound easy. Uncomplicated. Like me staying with them is fine when we all know it’ll definitely piss him off. I don’t want to be the reason they have a falling out. The last thing I need is more drama in my life, and looking at the three of them now, they’re a particular kind of trouble.

Tall. Tan. Rugged. Handsome.

Gage’s light brown hair, short on the sides and a little longer on top, is brushed back. The strong line of his jaw is peppered with stubble, but it isn’t sloppy. His brown eyes are framed by thick black eyelashes that most women would envy. Cole’s black hair is cut in the same way as Gage’s but his is messier. Even still, it looks good on him. He’s a little leaner than Gage and Hudson, but he’s all muscle. He and Gage can go back and forth bantering and joking while Hudson stands with a quietly amused grin. Hudson’s rich green irises are darker than mine, and his short brown hair looks soft to the touch. Like his friends, his shirt is fitted, sculpted to his muscles. It’s downright criminal how handsome they all are.

“Come on, Red.” Cole plops down beside me on the couch, the cushions dipping under his weight. “We have an extra bedroom, and it’s only for a few nights until you get a better place to stay.” His smile is a weapon, and I’m completely defenseless.

“And you can’t stay here,” Hudson says.

There it is again. That tone that has me looking at him a little differently. When did he get so bossy?