Page 9 of Mine to Keep

“No way!” He was laughing again.

“I took him home, stayed, made sure he had pills and water, fed him, and left. Ever since that night, he’s been, well…” I motioned to my door. “That.”

“Do you think it’s the fact that you stopped him from getting laid, or the fact that he’s embarrassed about how this all went down with you after?”

“I think he’s embarrassed. I tried to ask him today, but he ran and hid from me.”

Noel turned on his side and rested his head on his hand. “My advice, for what it’s worth, is to let it go. This isn’t on you. You did a good thing helping him. Maybe he just needs to see that you’re over it and that you think nothing of it, and he’ll start to feel better.”

It was good advice—probably the best I was going to get. I just didn’t know why it was bothering me so much that he avoided me. I never gave a shit if people didn’t want anything to do with me.

“You’re right.”

He smiled, jumped off the bed, and ruffled my hair. “I’m the smartest of us; never forget it.”

I tried to hit him, but he darted out of the way and was out the door in a second. I’d get him back later, the fucker.

I wokeup late Saturday morning. It was the one day a week we refused to teach our numbnut brothers our skills. Noel and I needed a day where we could decompress, because these guys were hopeless sometimes.

I got out of bed and moved to my en suite, emptied my bladder, brushed my teeth, and showered. Since it was my lazy day, I tossed on sweats and a T-shirt. By the time I made it downstairs, breakfast was almost done.

“There’s a plate for you in the microwave,” JJ said.

“Thanks.” I glanced around the kitchen, Matt was nowhere to be seen.

“He left half an hour ago.” JJ smirked and shot me a wink.

“Who?”

He blew a raspberry and looked at Shep. “He asked who, like none of us know.”

“The madness,” Shep deadpanned as he shoveled the last of his eggs into his mouth.

JJ glared at Shep for a beat before returning his attention to at me. “I think it’s cute that you have a crush on Matt.”

If I’d been drinking something, I’d have spat it everywhere. “What the…I do not have a crush on your physical therapist.”

“Mmhmm. Sure, sure.” He sipped his coffee, smiling as he did.

“Matt likes Nick.” Four’s voice was so soft, had anyone else been talking no one would have heard it.

“What?” JJ faced Four. “How do you know?”

Four shrugged. “Body language.”

Four was trained in ways none of us could comprehend. He read people, knew vulnerable parts of the human anatomy so well that he could paralyze a person with his pinky.

“He gets mad at me every time I’m near.”

Four glanced at me briefly then went back to his pancakes. “He likes you.”

No one said a word. What could we say? Four was one of those people who knew things. I’d watched him bite into a man’s neck and take down a group of men in seconds. He was intuitive…In short, he was not only the perfect assassin, he was a human lie detector.

“This is so adorable. You would make an amazing couple,” JJ squealed.

“No, it’s not, and no we won’t,” I argued. “I have no issue with Matt, but I don’t like him like that.”

Everyone regarded Four. “Is that true?” Mason asked, and I hit the button on the microwave to heat up my food.

---