I stayed braced, this time against how nice it felt for my heart to trip over itself at the thought anyone could worry about me.

Especially Nick.

“Yes,” I answered. “I’m fine.”

“Okay, Shade,” he muttered, his hand gliding back, his fingers sifting into my hair. “But just to say, that could be a ‘no’ or ‘kind of’ and you don’t have to lay it on me as to why. I still can help make it better by fuckin’ you again. Or I could take you out so you can slam back as much melon crap and vodka as you can stomach and you got my promise I’ll get you home safe no matter how shitfaced you get. Or we can just zone out in front of my TV.”

I fought the desperate desire I suddenly had to know what programs Nick “zoned out” in front of at the same time I felt the intensely pleasant feeling it caused that he offered me anything to make things better if I wasn’t okay.

I succeeded in doing this and replied, “That’s appreciated.”

I felt his fingers curl in my hair as he slid them down and used the backs to stroke my neck through the tendrils.

And as he did this, his touch and the new look in his eye made me brace again.

“You got someone?” he asked quietly.

“I do believe we’ve had a discussion about exclus—” I started.

“Not someone to fuck,” he cut me off. “I know you got that, him bein’ me. Someone to work shit out with.”

That didn’t only make me brace; it made me tense from top to toe.

“Sebring—”

“You tight with your sister?”

“Of a sort,” I felt it safe to answer.

He read my answer for what it was. “So you’re not. Not for shit like that. Not for when you need someone.”

I forced my body to relax on top of his when I shared carefully, “You know that can’t be you.”

“I get that,” he returned instantly, now sounding disgruntled. “We know where we are. But you’re not tight with your sister, not that way. You’re not tight with your mom. I’m not askin’ for it to be me. What I’m askin’ is, is it someone for you?”

It wasn’t someone for me.

In trying to come up with a reply, I knew I accidentally gave one when his eyes narrowed on me and he bit out, “Fuck.”

“I’m fine,” I assured.

“Right,” he stated shortly, his unhappy expression uncharacteristically unhidden. “I’ll pretend ’cause we are what we are that doesn’t mean dick to me. Sayin’ that, it sucks knowin’ there isn’t anyone you got for you.”

My heart tripped again because that felt good too.

I had to put a stop to this.