Page 192 of The Grand Ruin: Lance & Scarlet-Part One

“It is good. Them living together is huge for Ellis. It’s his life that would’ve been impacted the most if they didn’t sort things out.”

Joey doesn’t answer me, his focus elsewhere.

“Did you catch any of those sessions you signed up for?”

He nods, flicking back a strand of his dark hair from his face. “The first. I have another on Friday.”

My brows rise in surprise. I really didn’t think he’d go. I thought he only agreed to shut me up.

“You didn’t think I’d go, did you?”

“I—” My phone rings in my pocket, and I pull it out, finding Lance’s name lighting up the screen. My eyes go back to Joey’s, and he nods as if to say take it. “Lance?”

“You left me.”

I smile, dipping my head. “You were taking too long.”

He tsks. “I was waiting for you to join me. And then I come out to find that note.” I held out for twenty minutes for Lance to reappear from his shower this morning. When he didn’t, I left him a note telling him all the things I’d do to him when I got home tonight.

“Well, you’ll have to wait, won’t you?”

“Mean, mean woman. Where are you, Baby Lowell?”

“I’m at Joey’s. First class is at eleven.”

He pauses. “You okay?”

Lance told me he wasn’t happy with me visiting Joey alone, but I promised him I felt safe here. Even Mason would agree that Joey is a good bloke, no matter how much he hates him.

“I’m fine.”

“Can you text me when you get to class?”

I smile. “Yes.”

“Good girl.”

“Goodbye, Lance.” I hang up and hope that my cheeks aren’t as flushed as they feel. “Sorry about that.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“You could call him that.” Lance and I aren’t officially a couple, but to call us anything else would be a lie. “Nobody knows I’m seeing him, so if you see any of my people.” I make a signal to keep his mouth shut, and he sniggers.

“Got it.”

“It’s not a big secret or anything. It’s just so much has happened over the last year and a half, with my dad and Ellis and all the crazy in between. I like that I have him to myself. No expectations or questions from anyone else. I think he feels the same.”

I watch Joey watch me as if he’s truly taking in my words. “I like that. It sounds nice.”

I smile. “It is nice. We have something that feels special. Different—maybe.”

“Do you think you’ll tell your friends eventually?”

“I’m pretty sure it will come up,” I say, chuckling. “Lance isn’t the most discreet. They’ve just been so caught up in their own lives that none of them has noticed us.”

He gives me a warmish smile—or at least a semblance of one. I take it for a win. “I better hit the road before I make myself late.”

He straightens from his spot at the table, tapping his pen on the top of his other hand. “You don’t have to keep popping in here, you know. I get that you’re busy.”

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