I didn’t blame him. It would have been suffocating living with parents like that.

West rolled his eyes. “It’s not something I wanted people to know, but…” He glanced away toward the kitchen, where Wendy puttered around over our lunch. Yeah, I was spoilt. He looked back to us, and I caught the color rising in his cheeks. “I haven’t been close to anyone like I have you two.” He played with his drink, moving the glass around so the Coke would swish around the edges. “Not in school, not out of it, until meeting Lucas and then you, Kylo, through him.”

Lucas lunged and wrapped his arms around West, who rocked sideways on his seat. He grabbed the edge of the table to steady them both. West caught my gaze and rolled his eyes again. He was also softly smiling like I was.

Lucas pulled back, his face on fire, burning brighter than West’s was. “You both know I didn’t have any friends before you two either.” He pointed at me. “And I know you had your brothers in the club, but we’re different, and you can’t say you don’t love us.”

“You’re right.”

Lucas jerked his head back, shocked. “I am?”

Chuckling, I nodded. “Yeah, not to get all mushy, but I’m closer to you guys than anyone. Well, except Zion.”

Lucas snorted. “Another thing I still can’t believe, you taming my brother, the man whore.”

“I got skills,” I said with a grin.

“And I don’t need to know about those skills,” Lucas said.

“He’s very smitten,” West commented. “Actually, you all are, and it kind of makes me ill.”

I raised a brow. “Heard anythin’ from your mystery guy?”

West had also told Lucas why he needed to leave Polished, besides the problem of it getting out when he was a full-fledged doctor.

West shook his head. “Nope.”

“He’ll come around,” Lucas said.

West laughed, but there wasn’t any trace of humor in it. “I was just company for him. I don’t need the hassle of a relationship at the moment anyway. Not with final exams coming up. Besides, he wasn’t in it for a relationship. Like I’d told Kylo, I wasn’t even sure he was gay or bi.”

“He’d have to be or else he wouldn’t have set anything up in the first place,” Lucas said.

“I agree,” I added in.

West shook his head. “It doesn’t matter anyway.” When Wendy walked into the dining room, I heard West mutter, “Good timing.”

“Lunchtime,” Wendy sang.

“Thanks, Wendy,” I said, smiling up at her as she set a tray of burritos down on the table.

She straightened and rested her hand on my shoulder. “You’re welcome, honey. Do you guys need anything else? Another drink?”

“I think we’re good. Why don’t you join us for lunch?” I asked.

“I’d love to, but Lucy is calling shortly. We’re going to go over some recipes.” She ruffled my hair and went back into the kitchen. Lucy, Lucas and Zion’s mom, and Wendy had met in the hospital when they’d both been to visit and bonded over, well, being mothers, I guessed. They became fast friends, much as I had with Lucas and West. It was good to see as Wendy had a few brothers’ old ladies as friends, but she could always do with more, and Lucy was just as kickass as Wendy was.