Page 105 of Too Safe

“Okay. Have you had enough to drink to give me some answers?”

“Such as?” I hedge. Bringing my glass to my lips, I take another sip to avoid making eye contact. I know what she’s getting at, but I haven’t figured out how to explain, well, any of it.

“Really, girl?” she deadpans. “Fine. We can play it that way. Why don’t we start with why we’re standing in the kitchen of the Crusade Mansion instead of your uncle’s place?”

I scrunch my nose and accept my fate. Setting my cup on the island, I make my way around it and hook my arm through Hunter’s. “Come on. There’s something I need to show you.”

She’s quiet as I lead her through the house and climb the stairs, which is out of character for Hunter.

When we reach my room, I turn the handle and hold an arm out, gesturing for her to step inside ahead of me. Flipping on the lights, I watch her face as she takes it all in.

“Oh, this is pretty,” she remarks, panning from one side of the room to the other. “I’ve never been up here before. Whose room is this?”

I cover my face with my hands.

“Joey… Seriously. Whose room is this?” she asks again, spinning to face me.

Peeking out between my fingers, I mumble, “Um, mine? I sort of live here now.”

Her eyes go wide, and she’s silent for all of two seconds.

Then she shrieks.

“Holyshit! Josephine oh-my-god-I don’t-know-your-middle-name Meyer! What do you mean yousort of live here now?”

“I don’t actually have a middle name,” I quip, choosing to ignore the more pertinent question.

“Really? I have two. What sort of person doesn’t give their kid a middle name?”

“Someone who doesn’t really give a shit about their kid,” I gripe.

Hunter’s face falls, then her eyes widen in horror. “Ugh. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s fine,” I insist, making my way farther into the room.

“Okay, okay. Don’t try to distract me. You have a whole lot of explaining to do.”

I flop onto the bed, then prop my head on my hand when she sits beside me.

“My uncle had to go out of town a few weeks ago, so the guys thought—”

“Weeks? You’ve been living here forweeks, and I didn’t know?” She grips my arm. “Does this mean you’re officially dating? And is it weird that I have to ask which one?”

“Hunter.” I groan. Though I’m grateful she accepted my half-assed explanation at face value. “It’s weird, yes. But fair. And the honest answer is I don’t really know.”

“You don’t know?”

Oh god. I’m afraid her brain is going to implode. She’s confused as hell, but she’s radiating excitement and giddiness, too. She’s smiling so hard I can’t help but match her grin.

“Kylian and I… we haven’t exactly defined it. Locke and I had a falling out after the first party of the year, but we’re trying to move past that now. Then there’s Decker…”

“Josephine Meyer! You saucy minx.” She shoves my shoulder. “Look at you moving into town and starting your own little reverse harem. And what happened to ‘never Crusade’?”

Rolling to my side, I shove her back. “My ownwhat?”

“You know. A reverse harem? Like, a girl with a whole bunch of boyfriends? Polyamory? It’s a thing. They all love her. She loves all of them. And sometimes, they all love each other together.” She wags her eyebrows and scoots to the middle of the bed. “Oh my god.” She clasps her hands in front of her chest. “Is there sword crossing in your relationship? You have to tell me who! Wait, wait. No. Let me guess. It’s Decker and Kendrick, isn’t it? No! It’s Kylian. He’s got soft dom vibes writtenallover him.”

“You’re ridiculous. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. And Kendrick hates me,” I remind her, covering my face with my hands once again. I should have brought my drink with me. I’ll need it if she keeps up with this line of questioning.

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