Page 37 of The Heart

“Well, they have my food.” I shrug before getting on all fours and crawling inside.

—

I’m high. But not as high as Leena, or Luke.Relaxed,is what I am.

It’s just the three of us in the blanket fort now. Ava, Jace and Ryan returned to their room… who knows how long ago now.

Does time really even exist?

Not in the blanket fort, it doesn’t.

It’s surprisingly roomy down here now that the rest of the team is gone.

I’m lying next to Luke, Leena is on the other side of him, and the three of us are enjoying how comfortable the pillows are beneath us. We lay here, watching the shadows from the picture on the television dance across the blanket ceiling above us. It’s like watching TV, except you have to figure out what the images are based on the colors.

“Seb,” I call out. “Get down here! There’s finally enough room for your ass, if that’s possible!” I chuckle, finding my joke hilarious.

Leena finds it funny too. She laughs, smiling up at the vibrant sky above us.

Fuck,she’s gorgeous. Maybe that’s just the weed talking.Nah,she’s always gorgeous.

Does she have to try to be this pretty?Nope.I’ve seen her straight out of bed, and she still looks like this.

I chuckle at my own internal conversation.

“No,” Sebastian answers for the ten-bajillionth time.

Leena rolls her head to the side to look at Luke, resting her cheek on his bare, muscled shoulder and they exchange a look that isclearlysome sort of silent conversation. It must be nice to know someone well enough that you can do that. Without breaking eye contact with her, Luke acts on whatever they just decided.

“Sebastian,” he says the word slowly, and I hear a lot of grumbling coming from the bed above us. Just when I give up on that actually working, I hear the bed frame creak and my eyes snap to the people next to me in shock.

“What the fuck,”I mouth to them. Leena smiles, like she knows some secret I don’t. It’s a little infuriating. So is the way she’s biting at her lip. I can’t take my eyes off it.

Add that to the ten-millionth reason the two of them are so stuck on this girl.

When Sebastian makes his way into our fort, glaring at all of us, none of us can help our chuckles. Luke and Leena move closer to me so he can lay down on the other side of them, then we all stare up at the ceiling.

It’s quiet for a long moment.

“So hear me out,” I start, and all of us burst out laughing, even Sebastian. Even if he wasn’t smoking, there’s no way he managed to avoid the contact high completely. I have to assume that’s why he’s suddenly more relaxed. Or maybe it’s just Leena. She does seem to calm him somehow.

Once we settle down, Leena turns toward Sebastian, resting her hand on his thick chest as she looks up at him. “Seb? Can we sleep down here tonight? There’s more room than the bed,” she asks him in a tone so soft, it’s a wonder she’s still awake at all. He looks over at our situation, still a little annoyed, then he looks back down at her.

And the expression on his face changes completely.

I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before, not a sub, not any of the women I’ve known he’s liked.

This is something different.Softer,somehow.

“Yeah, sugar. We can sleep down here,” he whispers back, pulling her into his chest so she can snuggle into his large arms. Then I watch as Luke tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear, running his knuckles down her cheek. She reaches up, intertwining their fingers together and pulling his arm around her. He smiles, then buries his nose into her hair and closes his eyes.

“Goodnight, baby girl,” Luke says softly. Leena hums a response.

And my heart drops out of my fucking chest.

I honestly can’t believe it’s taken me this long to see it. Maybe I just didn’t want to.

But now there’s absolutely no denying the truth.

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