46. Levi

Hunter snores. It just might be the cutest fucking sound I've ever heard.

I'm still up, begging my brain to turn off and let me rest.

I can't stop thinking about what happened and about how hot it was. How I wouldn't mind doing it again.

Right now, though, I need to push those thoughts out of my mind. The most crucial issue is Hunter.

She was nearly unrecognizable when she stumbled into my room a few hours ago, shoulders sagging, hair and face a mess. At first, I thought she might be sleepwalking.

She was so out of it, both physically and mentally. I swear she wasn't fully coherent until Greedy came up and joined us.

I smooth a loose strand of hair away from her face, cradling the back of her head tenderly, willing her to stay asleep. She needs the rest. When she wakes up tomorrow…

Fucking hell.

Nothing will be different, assuming her mom's reappearance isn't a weird fever dream we're all stuck in.

But I'll be here for her. I'm not going anywhere.

My knuckles caress warm skin as I stroke the back of Hunter's head. It's then I realize just how close Greedy is cuddled up to her other side.

"Shit. Sorry, man."

He grunts in response. "All good. Wasn't sure if you were still awake."

I adjust my pillow to give myself a few seconds to collect my thoughts as nerves skitter through me.

"So, that happened," I awkwardly throw out.

I swear I can hear him smirk.

"It did."

"Was that the first time you've ever, uh… you've ever been with a guy?"

Greedy knows I'm bisexual. He's never discussed his sexuality with me, though.

He clears his throat softly. It's dark and quiet, and with Hunter sleeping between us, it's best if we keep our voices low.

"That was the first time I've ever been intimate with anyone other than Hunter."

My heart stutters in my chest.

That's news to me.

Though it aligns with what he told me my first night here. That it was only ever her.

"Listen, before you say anything else, there's something you should know," I rush out.

He told me to not catch feelings, but it's too fucking late.

"I care for her, G. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. If she wants me… if she needs me, too… I won't turn my back on her."

"I never turned my back on her," he contends, his tone low but filled with anguish.

Hunter stirs between us, and we both go silent and still.

I give it a few breaths, reconciling my emotions with what I know.

He's right. He didn't abandon her. She left him, and I know why. I'm just as guilty as he is for letting her go the first time. I allowed her to suffer alone. I allowed her to flee, to slip through our fingers when she very clearly needed us to fight for her. Or at the very least, to fight with her.

"I'm not accusing you of anything," I whisper. "I'm not even telling you to back off." I readjust my pillow one more time and wrap my arm around Hunter's bare stomach. "I'm just saying that I'm not giving her up. If she wants me, she has me."

Greedy says nothing. The only sound in the room is our breathing until we both drift off.