Peyton climbed up on a stool, using Bryan for support, and cleared her throat. “I feel like Lily should be saying a few words since it’s her night, but I know she’d kill me, so you’re stuck with me. Lily, babe, I love you. I will always love you. And I will always have your back no matter what. I am so happy you’ve found your person. And to the rest of us single happy people, here’s to surviving senior year. Salut.” Knocking her shooter back in one, Peyton wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stuck her tongue out at the rest of us. “That was your cue to drink, fuckers.” “Is she okay?” Kaiden whispered to me.“She will be.” I watched as Bryan lifted her off the stool, staring at her with more than lust in his eyes.“She’s going to break his heart, isn’t she?”“Yep.”“He’s a big boy, he can handle it.” Kaiden spun me in his arms and placed my glass down on the counter. “Want to get out of here?” His eyes turned impossibly black.Liquid lust swam through my veins, igniting a fir

The two of them had hit it off like old friends, and there was nothing more I enjoyed than watching the two people I loved most in the world talk about everything and nothing.Lily came over, slipping under my arm. “Hey, Dad. Tina.” She smiled. “Can I steal him for a second?”“Of course. But we eat soon, so be—fuck.” Coach grumbled. “That’s not… I didn’t… No sneaking off. Remember the rules, Lily.”“Sure thing, Dad.” Her laughter wrapped around me like silk as she led me across the yard, past all of her friends and her family, and the rest of the team. Nobody paid us any attention, used to us sneaking off to be alone.My girl was insatiable. After that amazing night at Bryan’s house, Homecoming 2.0, Lily wanted it all the damn time. I didn’t blame her, I did too. I couldn’t touch her without it leading to more. Which was a slight problem given how much time we spent over at her house.If her dad knew how many times I’d made his daughter come while he and his wife were downstairs, he’d

Until Peyton blurted, “Holy crap, that was so fucking good. You should have seen her face.” But it didn’t matter.She didn’t matter.“Anyway, I’ll leave you two love birds to it. I have an appointment with Mrs. B. Yay me.” She took off down the hall, and I frowned.“You’re worried?” Kaiden asked.“Yeah.” I let out a thin breath. “She’s hurting and I don’t know how to help her.”“Is her mom still clean?”“As far as I know. Peyton hasn’t said anything. And the social worker visits them. My dad made sure of it.”“It’s probably hard for her.” He hugged me tighter. “Staying with your family and then having to go back there and realize everything she’s missing out on.”A strange expression crossed his face, and my heart sank. “Kaiden, I’m sorry—”“No, Lily. Don’t do that. My dad and Peyton’s mom, it’s not the same.” But as he said the words, I saw the doubt in his eyes. “I have everything I need right here.”I leaned up on my tiptoes and brushed my lips over his. “I’ll love you enough for b