Page 30 of Mastered By Desire

At least, it was uneventful until stupid Gage decided to have his little chat with me.

“Uneventful’s nice”—she yawns—“right?”

“Right. We can chat in the morning. Get some sleep.”

“’Kay.”

I go straight to my room and strip out of my clothes, dropping them in the hamper before pulling on some sweatpants and a clean T-shirt. Normally I’d sleep in boxers, but Leah’s here and I’m fucking trying to do the goddamn right thing.

Those morals are going to prevent you from getting the things you want.

Fuck him and his fucking smug face.

Wait. Before I climb into bed, I walk back through the living room to the kitchen.

“Everything okay?” Leah’s voice sounds extra faint in the darkness.

“Yeah. Just getting you a key.” I use my phone light to search through the junk drawer. I find the key on an Alcatraz tourist keychain Danica gave me when she went on a school trip.

Actually, the keychain was a joint gift—Danica and Leah picked it out together.

Those two have been best friends since they were small.

What the fuck am I thinking, even fantasizing about the idea of coming between them?

I’m such an asshole.

“Here ya go,” I say, dropping the key on the coffee table.

“Thanks.” She stirs beneath her blankets. “Thanks so much for letting me stay here. I know it’s inconvenient. Sometimes I think I should’ve stuck it out with Mick?—”

“You’re not serious.”

She huffs a laugh. “No. I guess not.”

“Good.” I rake a hand through my hair, suddenly exhausted. “I’d have Danica over here for an intervention so fucking fast.”

“Or an exorcism,” Leah says.

“Probably both.”

“Well, I do appreciate you,” she says. “I’m actively hunting up a place to stay, responding to roommate wanted ads. I’m sure I’ll be out from under you in no time.”

I nearly choke on my tongue.

“I mean, out from underfoot,” she says quickly.

If it were light enough in here, I bet I’d see her blushing.

She clears her throat. “I’ll find my own place soon.”

The truth is, I don’t want her to.

10

Leah

Dmitri isn’t working on Wednesday night. He’s sitting in the living room when I return from my final tutoring session.

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