a similar welcome to his cousin and since everyone could see his infatuation with Lills, she too had been cautiously accepted. It was me t

every time he looked in my direction. I was pretty sure the only reason I

ame for putting their home at risk of exposure, and him slapping me with a permanent babysitter had done not

matter what happened he always stayed the same, brooding yet dependable. If something bothe

n. We were huddled in the far corner of Aaron's new roo

ged. "Practi

Keeping rea

ld tell he was wonde

st stop sleeping

wasn't to le

in the roo

n't t

d, cutting him off. "And I'm pretty sure he ne

ien

h was still a good six feet away. "You're the closest I'm gonna get to one

"They’re h

they're not fantasizing about how m

eing over

broad shouldered red head that looked like he had bruis

thinks y

over here and finish me off with h

seconds. Pos

've got

"That was in

and glared at Burney. "Thank

ds do," he said, h

hand with Dave. "How you holding up?"

d that there’s no point protecting me, si

e asked, rais

"Though I think she's forgetting that I'm sup

ave. "I figured I'd upgrade his status sin

ld yo

ither you move in, or I’ll start

ut I could tell the t

d to ask Aaron's

N

at's the

t," he said, giving an exa

" Dave answered, puttin

sped, pulling

sy as in... Forget it," he said, shaking h

lith beamed, slipping he

ended

ngue out. Burney cleared his throat. "How

a little more than this tho

op

llith asked, direc

about to tell her m

Dave said, giving he

" I said, hoping he wouldn'

there. Aaron

brushing over them and landing on me

Get over

ing himself from the brunette playing w

ha

u haven't said hello to Fa

barely looking at

stunned over his cousin's obvious

thi

nothing and t

hing I want to

owned.

s obvious to everyone that I'm the issue here. I'l

frustration and I felt a rush of satisfacti

on was directed at Burney, t

ng me sleep

hy

ldn't have to wait in the hall ever

rother. "Just make sure you watch her,"

asked, her eyes darting between

," Dave said, s

Burney. “

eah, I'm

aring at me again and it's fr

wait up!" L

"I've got to help Burney get his

l he

said, an apologeti

re you

id, ushering me tow

ou back at o

sounded completely uncommittal a

ging above me a moment. "You wanna tell m

tell Lillith, I sure as hel

th your sister," he said, pu

ven if all it did was tell me I was going down the wrong hallway. Burney had stayed behind me, laughing to himself at my stubbornnes

m?" I asked, chan

ng his face. He knew what I w

tle hovel. The nine sleeping mats spread out on the floor left no room for furniture, though

you shar

n in another wing, the yellow one you wandered into yesterday." He shrugged. "It's not

uc

ess with me gon

an answering grin. "Though if an

ell aware," he said, rolling his