“Riley,” Zeke called, ignoring me, and where the two guys had just disappeared, she peeked around the corner, making sure I was covered before she walked all the way in.

“Sorry for the barbarian ambush,” Riley said, crossing her arms as she joined the other two standing over me. “But we didn’t know what else to do to get you to talk.”

“Talk?”

“We want to know what’s going on,” Holden said, filling in the gaps. “And not the bullshit lie or half-truth you’ve been spitting when someone is brave enough to press you. You’re not okay. And if being with Maliyah was really what you wanted, you’d be over the fucking moon instead of a human version of Eeyore.”

I sighed. “I do want to be with Maliyah.”

As soon as the words were off my lips, Riley gave the guys a look, and they both stepped back just in time for her to turn the faucet and make icy cold water rain down on me.

“Riley! What the fuck!”

I held up my arms to shield myself from it — not that I really could — until she turned it off again. The towel over my lap was soaked now, and cold.

“You’re getting an ice bath every time you say some stupid shit like that,” she warned. “So I’d try again if I were you.”

I growled. “This is bullshit, I’m not—”

I tried to stand, but Zeke met my chest with a firm hand, pushing me back against the wall.

“Stop trying to handle whatever is going on alone,” he said, his voice loud and firm. “Goddamnit, Clay — can’t you see your friends are worried about you? You’ve been there for every single one of us at one point or another,” he continued, and I looked behind him at where Riley and Holden nodded in agreement before my eyes met Zeke’s again. “Let us help you now.”

Something raw and emotional snagged in my throat, and I tore my gaze from them, looking at the empty shower hall as I swallowed down whatever it was that was choking me. I was silent for a long while, shaking my head, intent to come back with some sort of argument.

But I didn’t have one.

Instead, I finally relented, sighing and letting my head fall back against the tile.

“It’s a long story,” I croaked.

Riley carefully lowered herself down onto the wet tile next to me, not a care in the world that it was going to soak her shorts when she did. She reached over and grabbed my forearm.

“We have time.”

Zeke and Holden sat down, too.

“We could move somewhere that isn’t the shower,” I suggested.

“Not a chance,” Riley said. “I need that faucet threat hanging over you. Literally.”

I smirked, then blew out a breath, and told them everything.