Hunt Me! I Crave the Chase (Spooky Boys #3)

“Disgusting.”

“I know,” Blair countered, laughing, though his cheeks were pink so I knew he was a lying liar who lied.

“So fucking weird you’re dating my brother,” I managed, watching as he lit up and took a long, happy drag.

“So fucking weird you have a brother, or brothers,” he countered, blowing smoke in my face. “Other than me, I mean.” I set my pizza slice down and took the joint, sucking a drag myself. Bitter smoke filled my lungs, and I held it, lashes fluttering, then released, the tension bleeding from my body.

“Yeah,” I said softly, handing it back with a sigh.

That was fair. I’d never told him about my family. Never told him shit, if I was being honest. Lydia hadn’t wanted me to and I’d been so fucking scared of her I hadn’t dared. By the time we’d gotten old enough for me to feel slightly less terrified, it was too late.

“What other secrets have you been keeping from me?” Blair asked, and even though I could tell he was joking, it still made me tense up. Because my secret family wasn’t the worst secret I still kept. Maybe he had a right to know? But I wasn’t…ready to talk about it.

So I just shrugged and he nodded, accepting my silence as the answer it was.

“How’s therapy going?” Blair asked, keeping his tone light, even though I could feel the weight behind it.

Because of fucking course he asked about therapy.

“It’s…going.” I’d been going pretty much since I’d moved here. But the first two appointments hadn’t really done much? Other than make me rehash shit I didn’t want to talk about. “She asks way too many questions.”

“That’s her job,” Blair snorted, taking another drag before passing the joint back.

I stared at it, the cherry red tip, brought it up and sucked in. Already a sense of calm was settling over my body as the high hit and my lungs opened up wide. When the end burned unevenly, I licked my finger and gently tapped it so it would even it out.

“I know,” I exhaled, low and slow.

“Is it helping?” Blair asked, still trying to pretend like he wasn’t worried about me. Blair used the sad pikachu face, it was mildly effective!

“I dunno,” I answered honestly, hunched over. I hadn’t invited him out to get grilled, and I was kinda regretting this choice—but that wasn’t new. I regretted a lot of things nowadays. “You need help at the pizza joint?”

“Don’t change the subject,” Blair laughed. “And yeah, man. That would be nice. I got a shipment coming in later that’s gonna be a total bitch to move. Rich’ll probably be busy with council shit—some treaty, negotiation, I dunno, whatever. For a wolf pack? Thing? And Collin’s starting public school so he’s no help.”

The idea of being useful made me perk up.

“I got your back, man.”

“Thanks,” Blair grinned, eyes crinkling at the corners. Then, he sobered. “Look. Just let me say one last thing—then I promise I won’t bring any of this shit up again,” Blair blurted before I could distract him successfully. I sucked in a breath, wanting to say no—to deny him this—but I was officially too high and sad to argue.

“Fine,” I sighed, smiling at him because I figured he needed reassurance.

“You…” Blair sucked in a breath. He’d been going to therapy too. Same building, different therapist. It was why he’d invited me there in the first place. He said it was helping him. He wanted to help me too. And what was I supposed to say to that?

I’d told him I was fine, and he’d leveled me with a look that had silenced every last one of my protests.

I didn’t interrupt, because I knew sometimes it took him a lot of courage and thinking to figure out what he wanted to say. Especially when it was dark or shitty.

I’m not ready for this.

Don’t do this to me.

I can’t handle it.

Don’t, don’t, don’t.

“Never mind,” Blair smiled at me—and it was as fake as my own. But I was grateful. Grateful because it meant I wouldn’t have to deal with this. Wouldn’t have to add something new to my already full plate.

But…Blair looked disappointed in himself.