Page 69 of Stella

My younger sister looked away. I must have hit too close to what was bothering her.

Ember grinned. “And Zephyr is too busy playing protective older brother to settle down, and Terran has the same ‘I’m just a beta’ issue as Sunshine.”

“Right.” I sat back down. “None of you have room to talk.”

“I do!” Holly raised her hand. “I have my pack.”

“You do.” Raina patted her hand. “After we had to talk sense into you. Like we need to talk sense into Stella now.” She turned her laser-like focus back to me. “They make you deliriously happy.”

I frowned at my plate. “They do.”

It was scary. I might as well have cut my heart out and handed it to them.

“Try to be open to the idea of them being your pack.” Ember crunched on another chip. “That’s all.”

That’s all. I rolled my eyes. “Let’s get back to business. We’re ready to go on to discussing the banquet.”

“We’ve got our usual donors,” Raina started. “And new ones, thanks to Meredith.”

I grinned. Meredith had done a great job bringing more donors into our charity banquet. “We should ask her to help with the bachelor auction this year too.”

Ember smirked. “Yes, yes, we should.”

“Have you asked Simon yet?” Raina looked at me. “You know how alphas like to posture.”

“To auction off a date night?” I snarled.

“No, to donate to the charity banquet.” Raina looked amused. “There’s no way you would allow him to date the highest bidder.”

Something twisted in my stomach. “A donor?”

“You don’t have to, of course.” Raina flipped to another page in her planner. “I thought he would like the chance.”

Raina was right. I wasn’t asking him for money. It was a charity banquet we held every year.

If Simon hadn’t been so suspicious at the beginning, I wouldn’t have thought twice about asking him.

But it would be fine; it was for charity.

I nodded. “I’ll ask.”

It was a good night, and when I went home, I was tired but happy. It was the first night in a long time that I was alone, and it felt…weird.

I shifted in bed, unable to get comfortable. Usually, I was sandwiched between two snoring men who were the worst bed hogs, with the third reaching over to me.

I pulled pillows around me, trying to simulate the same pressure, but it was no use.

Damn them for being so good at snuggling.

I flopped onto my other side, and my phone lit up. It was on silent, and I grabbed it.

Jerrick, Evan, and Simon all texted me goodnight.

I texted them goodnight back and put my phone down. I should have been happy to have some space. I always looked forward to my “me time” when Brock was out of town on business.

But these guys didn’t suffocate me. I could read a book quietly without being pelted with twenty questions. I could spend the night out with my family playing cards, and they didn’t throw themselves into a snit.

I sighed. I was falling deep and I didn’t know what to do about it. Surely this weightless feeling would stop. Surely the bubbly feeling of joy whenever they were around would go away at some point.

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