BEING NEAR IS BETTER THAN NOTHING II

”Of losing the only good thing I had left.” Tears burned at the back of my eyes. “My spot on the team. The last shred of respect Zane might have had for me. So I watched him take the fall.” Henry stepped closer. “You made a mistake. It happens””Don’t fucking defend me.” I shook my head. “I don’t deserve it.””Maybe not.” His gaze softened even more. “But would you destroy yourself over it?”I stared at him—I really looked. The way he was watching me with those steady eyes—the set of his shoulders and the slight part of his lips like he wanted to say something else but didn’t know if I could handle it. And I realized.This wasn’t the first time we’d been here, not physically but emotionally. Henry had been in this exact spot before, standing close and saying things that meant more than words—waiting for me to catch up.“How long?” My voice came out rough.His eyebrows drew tighter. “How long what?””How long have you been—“ I gestured between us—not sure how to say it.”Does it mat

THAT’S MY GIRL

ZANE’S POVThe coffee kept pouring. I stood there, hand wrapped around the pot, watching the dark liquid fill the mug, past the rim and over the edge. Spilling onto the counter in a slow, steady stream that pooled around the base.I didn’t notice until it hit my hand.”Ah! Shit!”The burn snapped me back. I jerked the pot away, slamming it onto the burner—coffee dripping from my knuckles onto the floor. I grabbed a dish towel, pressing it against my skin. Fuck.I turned on the tap, shoved my hand under cold water—the sting turned into a dull throb. My jaws clenched as the image came back uninvited-again.Nick Grayson, standing too close to her—holding out that piece of paper like it was an invitation to something I wasn’t part of. And Reeve—she just took it without hesitation. I watched the whole thing from across the room—watched her smile at him and laugh at whatever bullshit joke he’d probably told. And he was leaning in like he had every right to be that close to her.Like I wa

THAT’S MY GIRL II

She didn’t answer, just stared at her screen like it had grown a second screen. I crossed to her in three steps, leaning over her shoulder to see. BANK NOTIFICATION: DEPOSIT $50,000.00. Her hands trembled slightly as she held the phone. ”Fifty thousand dollars.” She breathed, almost laughing. Her voice cracked on the last word. “That’s—that’s real money.” I watched her face shift—shock slowly melting into something lighter. She looked up at me, her eyes bright like I should know why she was happy. “I can help my sister. I can—I can really help.” She stopped, swallowing hard. “I can actually do something.” My chest tightened. Because this wasn’t about the show. It wasn’t about cameras or ratings. This was real—her sister was real and whoever that hit her yesterday was real. It was her world that I wasn’t a part of because I made sure of that. “I’ll get paid too.” I said instead. She blinked, turning to me. “Really?” ”Yeah.” I chuckled. “Priya told me this mo

TRUST ME, CALLAHAN

REEVE’S POV‘That’s my girl’The words hung in the air between us—he had said it yesterday to Nick and now they’d fallen off his lips again. And it felt too real for something that was supposed to be fake. I froze, phone pressed against my ear, Priya’s voice a distant buzz I couldn’t process. My eyes locked with his.And I watched him realize what he’d said. His jaw tightened, eyes widening for half a second before he tore his gaze away. He cleared his throat—once then twice before turning toward the counter like it suddenly needed his attention. My chest felt tight, heart hammering so loud I was so sure he could hear it. Why did I even ask for his opinion? He was the one who’d said personal lives weren’t part of the arrangement.What did I expect him to say?But his words had soothed something in me. Making me see beyond the paranoia of Nadia being on camera, of Priya exploiting her. He’d made me see the good side—that I’d get to see my sister. That Nadia would see me doing well.

WHAT ARE WE EVEN DOING?

ROOK’S POV ”My place, in twenty minutes.” I stared at the text, thumb hovering over the screen, across the locker room. Henry shoved his phone into his bag without looking up. His shoulders were tense—the way they always got after practice when he knew what was coming next. We’d been doing this for less than a week now. Four days since the party—since pretending this was just about getting Zane out of my system. Except I wasn’t sure if it was working. “Yo, Rook!” JJ’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Are you coming to Mario’s? I heard their new honey chicken tenders are sickkk!” I locked my phone, shoving it into my pocket. “Er-I can’t man. I’ve got that Econ paper due tomorrow.” JJ groaned, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Man, you’ve been buried in homework all week. You need to live a little.” If only he knew. Henry was already halfway out the door, not waiting for me. We never left together. That was the number one rule. ”Yeah, maybe next time.” I grabbed

WHAT ARE WE EVEN DOING II?

His mouth swallowed me again, deeper this time, his nose pressing into the trimmed hair at the base while his throat worked around the head. One of his hands cupped my balls, rolling them gently, and the other pressed flat against my lower belly to keep me from thrusting up. He set a rhythm that was pure torture. Each downstroke ended with his lips at my roots and his throat fluttering. Each upstroke finished with his tongue flicking rapidly across my slit. The pressure built at the base of my spine, my thighs trembling—breath coming in ragged gasps. ”Henry, I’m gonna—“ He pulled off immediately. A groan escaped me, my cock throbbed in the air, slick with his spit—so close to release that my balls ached. “Not yet.” His voice was wrecked—lips swollen and red. “Did you bring it?” It took my brain a moment to process words. “What?” ”The stuff, Rook.” He sat up slightly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “The lube and condoms. Tell me you actually brought them.” ”Oh y