24. Ethan #2
I ducked my head so he couldn’t see my smile. “If you say so. Now, tell me about who I’m going to be meeting.”
Rami drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “There’s three of them who live there—Darius, Dahlia, and Quill. They’ve been friends since childhood, with Jeremiah and Nox rounding out their little gang.”
A bittersweet ache unfolded in my chest. Matty, Riley, and Lucky hadn’t been my friends since childhood, but we’d definitely been a little gang.
Fuck, how I missed that.
“It’s amazing they’re all home,” Rami continued. “Darius is away a lot; think he’s got a secret lover stashed away somewhere who he goes to visit.”
“Ooh, that’s intriguing.”
“Right?” He waggled his brows at me, and I laughed. I was getting the sense that he enjoyed gossip and intrigue as much as I did. “Full disclosure, I expect to be told about any and all details you overhear.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said airily. “They might become my new besties. I can’t promise to break their trust.”
Rami fixed me with a pointed look. “I hope they do become your friends, but I’m your number one, Ethan. Or do I need to stop the car and remind you about that over the bonnet?”
I groaned, pushing down on my crotch in an attempt to stifle my suddenly growing erection. “You can’t just say shit like that and not follow through. It’s mean.”
“Who said anything about not following through?”
“Sure, because this is an ideal place for that to happen,” I said sarcastically, gesturing at the busy high street we were driving along. “Could’ve thought about that when we were on those country lanes, but nooo.”
Rami smirked. “You’re a bit cheeky, you know that?”
“Only for you.”
It hit me then how true that was. I’d never been like this with Dave, or anyone before him, for that matter. Something about Rami made me feel…comfortable. Utterly free to be myself.
“Anyway,” Rami said, bringing us back on topic, “I don’t know Darius as well as the others, but he’s a decent bloke. Keeps to himself. Pretty quiet. Dahlia, she’s away a lot too, but not quite as often. She’s…fiery.”
“How so?”
“Like she might remove your balls if you say anything remotely sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise.”
I instinctively cupped said balls protectively. “I would never. Jesus, who would?”
“Stupid people. Especially if they’ve met Dahlia and then make that mistake.”
“Good to know I won’t get any shit for being gay.”
“You won’t get shit for anything,” Rami said bluntly. “They’re extremely respectful. But if that’s something you’re worried about, they’re all queer.”
I sagged in relief. “That’s wonderful. What about the third housemate?”
“Ah, Quill.” Rami was quiet for a moment. “Quill’s been through a lot. He’s not been officially diagnosed, but I suspect he’s got PTSD and agoraphobia. He’s been seeing a therapist virtually, which is great, but he’s not up to leaving the house much at the moment.”
“Oh, man.” My gut twisted with empathy. “That fucking sucks.”
“Yeah.” Rami blew out a long breath. “It does. We all make sure to stop by as often as we can, especially if Darius and Dahlia are away, but the dude’s been through hell.”
“Poor guy,” I said softly. “Well, he’ll have me there now too. I can keep him company.”
Rami smiled softly. “You’ve already decided to make him your new best friend, haven’t you?”
“Maybe.” I fiddled with my T-shirt. “Might be nice to bring my grand total of friends up to two.”
“Think you’ll find Sam will be very offended if he’s not already part of that number. The twins too, although fuck them. They don’t deserve to be there after their little stunt.”
The grumpiness in Rami’s tone had me laughing. “Yeah, I’m not sure offering to pose nude is the start of a great friendship.”
“Unfortunately, they will bug the shit out of you until they can be classed as your friends too. They’re stubborn like that.” He pulled up outside a townhouse and switched off the engine. “But enough about them. Are you ready to meet your new housemates?”
I fiddled with my T-shirt. “You’re awfully confident that they’re going to offer me a room.”
“They will. Come on, let’s go.”
He dashed around the car to open my door and I couldn’t help but smile. That was until my gaze slid past him to the house. On the doorstep stood three people, all watching me intently.
The woman was stunning. Delicate tattoos were visible on every inch of skin on display. Piercings glinted in the sunlight and her dark hair was dyed pink on the ends. She looked like the kind of person I’d always wanted to be friends with, but been far too intimidated to approach.
Behind her stood two men. They were both tall and lean, but that was where all similarities stopped.
The one on the left was still, like a storm waiting to be unleashed.
His long, dark hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail.
Arms folded, he studied me so intently it almost had me wanting to hide behind Rami.
Meanwhile, the other guy was hopping up and down on the spot, his shaggy hair bobbing with the movement. There was a bowl of cereal in his hand, milk sloshing down his front. He too was staring, open curiosity in his expression.
I gulped, suddenly feeling intimidated. I reversed until my back hit Rami’s chest. His big arms looped around me immediately, lending me his strength.
Just then, the guy holding the cereal bowl gave me a wide smile. Sloshing yet more milk over the sides, he waved excitedly. “Hi! You must be Ethan.”
The woman, Dahlia, looked at him incredulously. “Who the fuck else would he be?”
Darius gave a huff, crossing his arms. “Told you all we should’ve waited inside. Coming out here creeped him out.”
Light bickering broke out between the three of them, and all the anxiety fled. A small smile tugged at my lips.
I thought I’d fit in here just fine.