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“That was good, but disturbing.” Lily stretched.
“Lil, aliens aren’t real,” drawled Nate.
“Well, actually—”
“We liked it.” Josh cut Matt off.
“Go on, Matt,” she prompted him.
“Ignore them, aliens are real. There’s a huge cover-up, but if you—”
“How can someone as intelligent as you fall for that bullshit?” Nat handed Matt a pile of plates. “She still thinks you’re normal. Let’s not fuck this up by revealing you’re a whack job.”
“It’s all true, Lily,” Matt called, letting Nate push him into the kitchen. “The truth is out there.”
“I believe you, Matt.”
“Oh, bloody hell, no. Not two nutters.” Jake groaned, dropping his forehead on Josh’s shoulder.
“Sweetheart, there are no such things as aliens,” Nate said, coming back in with Matt behind looking jubilant.
“Prove it.”
“What?” Nate stared at her.
“Prove it. Prove to me there are no other life forms anywhere in our universe,” she said.
Matt blew her a noisy kiss and shoved the plates back at Nate.
“I don’t need to prove it. It’s obvious,” he snapped.
“No, it’s not obvious. Just not proved. Vampires, mermaids, werewolves are all real. Why can’t aliens be real too?”
“Well said, Lily, well said.” Matt clapped. “You are clearly a genius.”
“You really mean it?” Josh eyed her strangely.
“Four months ago, witches were the stuff of storybooks. Now? I am one. I can’t dismiss something just because it doesn’t seem possible.” She side-eyed Nate. “I mean look at you, Nate. When I first saw you, I thought you were an arrogant, bossy git. Now I know you, I know you’re an arrogant, bossy fairy.”
Laughter exploded around her, followed by a grunt from Matt as Nate thrust the plates back at him.
“Oops. We think you should run,” Josh suggested.
Lily looked at Nate and the smirk dropped from her face. She held her hands out in submission.
“What did you call me?”
“Um...sexy? Handsome? I’m sure that was it, wasn’t it?” She looked at Josh for back-up, but he was heading into the kitchen with Jake.
“You’re on your own, Lil, run.” Matt abandoned her, following the twins.
“Iggy, sweetheart, I would never—”
He lunged at her, and she just managed to dodge, heading for the stairs. It wasn’t easy running up spiral stairs, and it didn’t help knowing that he was taking them slowly. She had nowhere to go and he knew it. She was just at the twins’ bedroom when he attacked. His lips descended on her neck, and she squealed with laughter. He didn’t usually have much stubble, but it was evening, and she could feel it scratching against her sensitive skin. It tickled, but it did strange things to her stomach as well. He caught her against him, pinned her arms to her sides, and she shrieked with laughter while he attacked her neck growling and nipping at her.
“Mercy!” She managed to twist sideways from him, but all it did was give him the advantage over her. His hand found her sides and he tickled. She tried to stop him, to get away from him but there was no contest physically.
“C’mon, Lil, push him away,” Matt called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Matt! Help! Oh, god, mercy, mercy!”
Nate’s teeth grazed over her neck and his fingers found a sensitive spot that had her crying with laughter. She threw her whole weight backwards on him, and he lost his hold long enough for her to get into the bedroom. She tried to push the door shut but it was too late, and she backed away. The back of her legs hit Josh’s bed, and she fell backwards, letting out a squeak. Laughing evilly, he clawed his hands and advanced on her. She pushed herself backwards up the bed, but he just bared his teeth and launched himself onto her. He straddled her hips and went for her neck again, making her squirm and shift under him.
“Use your magic.” Jake came in. “Push him away.”
She tried to push him away with her mind, but nothing happened. She couldn’t stop laughing and squirming. Tears poured down her face.
His fingers stopped on her side, and he lifted his head. “Had enough?”
“Yes, god, yes,” she begged breathlessly.
“What am I?”
“Fae. You’re fae, a sexy, smart fae,” she panted.
“Now you’re correct.” He drew back from her. His face was flushed, his glasses askew, and happiness sparkled in his eyes. He smoothed her hair, running his fingers through the loose strands of her braid. “Time for your prize.” He got off the bed and turned on the overhead light.
“You don’t have to. I haven’t washed my feet, and I’ve been in these shoes all day.” She leant up on her elbows.
“We don’t care.” Josh shut the door.
Nate straightened his glasses and then he and Jake pulled the bed away from the wall.
“Guys, really, you don’t have to do this. I don’t need—”
“Be quiet,” Nate instructed.
Lily lifted her eyebrow at him, but he just winked at her.
“Take your jumper off,” Matt said. “It’ll be easier with just your shirt.”
“Yeah, and as much as we find it sexy, you don’t need to keep your tie on now.” Josh undid it and slid it from her neck, undoing her top button.
“Sit on the edge of the bed.” Matt held out his hand.
She took it and let him pull her around until she was sitting up. Her skirt was twisted and high on her thighs. She tried to tug it down, but Jake caught her fingers, shaking his head. He knelt on the floor by her feet, Josh coming to kneel next to him.
“Guys, honestly, you haven’t smelt my feet.”
Jake lifted her foot and sniffed it. “Just a whiff of camembert, but we promise not to nibble, no matter how cheesy it gets.” He stripped her sock off at the precise moment Josh pulled her other one off.
Nate kneaded her shoulders while Matt pulled her shirt free from her skirt. He massaged the lower part of her back, his thumbs rubbing over the indentations either side of her spine. The twins started on her feet, rubbing under her heels, over her arches, and up to her toes.
She moaned as they rubbed at each muscle that was tense, the relief incredible. At some point she’d died and attained Nirvana. There was no other explanation for the bliss the four of them were giving her.
“Your shoulders are really knotted,” Nate said.
He pressed his thumbs into the base of her skull and she didn’t care if she never moved again.
“Shit, babe, quit moaning like that,” Matt said.
“Wha...huh?” She wasn’t even sure she’d articulated it correctly; her whole body was in meltdown. She heard them snigger, but she didn’t have it in her to even raise her head.
“I think someone’s going to have to carry you home.” Nate chuckled, kissing the top of her shoulder.
Every stress and tension she’d been holding was worked out of her by their talented fingers and hands. “You should open up a salon,” she mumbled. “You have talented fingers—er, no, cancel that. I don’t want you rubbing any other girls, only me.”
“You’re the only girl we want to rub.” Nate massaged the muscles either side of her shoulder blades with his thumbs.
“Shit, yeah, we love rubbing you, Lily.” Jake sniggered.
“My muscles and I thank you all very much.”
The overhead light flickered and went out, making her gasp at the sudden darkness.
“Probably the trip switch,” Jake said. “Hold on.”
She heard them shift around as she gripped Nate and Matt’s legs beside her. She really didn’t like the dark.
Candle wicks caught fire and she watched the Jake light the rest of the candles with matches. Josh went downstairs to check the fuse box.
“Nah, must be a power-cut,” he called from the bottom of the stairs. “No fuses have tripped. I’ll check outside.”
“Let’s go down,” Matt suggested, and they got up. She followed Nate out of the room, leaving Matt to blow out the candles.
“Whole bloody village has gone again.” Josh came in as she reached the bottom. “It’s about time they sorted it once and for all.”
“What’s going on? Why has the power gone?” she asked.
“We’re still overhead electrics out here. Branches, wind, snow, heavy rain, some idiot crashing into a pole? We lose power. Happens at least four times every winter,” Jake answered her.
“I guess that’s what you get when you live in the back of beyond,” she teased them.
“We were born here,” Matt pointed out. “What’s your excuse?”
She laughed, stuffing her feet into her shoes to warm them up. “How long does it take to come back on?”
“Depends on what’s caused it. You get used to it. Kerosene lamps and candles are a must in this village.” Nate lit the candles on the mantelpiece and window sill. There were mason jars of candles along a shelf, and two storm lanterns on the fireplace.
“Why are you doing that?” she asked.
“You want to sit in the dark?” Nate turned to look at her.
“No, I mean you’re using matches, why don’t you use your magic?”
“We don’t use magic at home unless we absolutely have to. If we did, we’d end up getting caught,” Nate answered.
“I find it hard to believe that they haven’t caught you already.”
“We’ve been careful,” Matt said, coming down the stairs.
“But what about when you were little? You healed the bird without thinking. What else could you have done in front of them without realising it?” She didn’t get it last time, and she didn’t get it now.
“They’d have said,” Nate replied. “If they saw us do something strange, don’t you think they’d have said something?”
He had a point, but that was supposing Jonas didn’t have anything to do with it. “Are you sure Jonas hasn’t—"
“No, he’d never do that and not tell us.” Nate folded his arms.
“He’d have told us in the pub,” Josh pointed out.
“Not if he knew what you were before he came here.” She kept her voice low.
“How’s he going to know we were fae when we were little? I couldn’t make fire till I was about five.” Nate shook his head.
“He would if he was sent here,” she said. “If he came here because you were here.”
“Bit of a stretch, Lil.” Matt dismissed it.
“I asked Mum. She hadn’t heard of the Council, but she did say there were hidden societies, businesses that used everyday things as fronts.”
“You heard Jonas as well as we did.” Nate was getting frustrated with her.
“Okay, okay, I’ll drop it, but I really think you should ask him about your parents.”
Her phone rang, and she answered it. “Hi, Mum, have you lost power too?”
“Yes, Mrs Benson next door said it happens sometimes. They still have overhead electrics here.”
“The land that time forgot,” Lily replied and heard her chuckle.
“Are you still with Matt?”
“Yes, we’re at the twins, but they have candles and things. The fire’s lit as well.”
“Mrs Benson said it can take time before they get it fixed, depending on what’s caused it. I don’t want to leave a candle lit downstairs for you in case it catches the place on fire. Maybe you should come back now, I’ll wait for you.”
“All right. I thought you were in bed already.”
“I was reading. I’ll light some candles downstairs for you. Mrs Benson let me have some of hers.”
Okay, give me a few minutes to say goodbye.”
Jake waved a torch at her. “Stay, you can use this.”
“Oh, Mum?”
“Yes?”
“Matt’s leant me a torch. Don’t worry about the candles; I’ll be back later.”
“All right. I won’t get—”
“Mum?”
“There’s someone downstairs.” Her mother’s voice was hushed.
“What?” Lily’s stomach dropped.
“I can hear someone moving about.”
“Get under the bed.”
“Already there.”
“Stay there, Mum, I’m coming.”
“No, stay—” Lily put down the phone and headed for the door.
“What’s wrong?” Matt demanded as she opened it and went out.
“Someone’s broken in,” she called. She raced down the path and out the gate, ignoring their shouts to wait for them. Nothing mattered beyond getting to her mum. Anything could be happening to her—beaten, raped, murdered. It was hard to see, it was so dark, and she was glad when torch light shone over the road as the twins caught up with her. They kept pace with her as Nate and Matt ran ahead, torches in their hands.
She rounded the corner, and made a pained noise when she saw the open front door but no sign of Nate or Matt. She dashed towards the gate, but Josh and Jake caught her arms, holding her back.
“Just hang on. Wait. You don’t know who’s in there,” Josh exclaimed.
“My mum’s in there! Nate and Matt are in there!” She tried to pull out of their grip, but they held her tight.
“What’s going on?” Drew came out of his door, holding a kerosene lamp.
“Go to Drew.” Josh pushed her towards him. “Tell him what’s going on.”
“Mum phoned me, someone’s broken in and they’re downstairs,” she said breathlessly as Drew came over.
“Stay here until one of us calls you. Hear me? Stay here.” He went past her and into her cottage.
She was desperate to go in as well, but she knew if there was a fight she’d only get in the way. She chewed on her thumb nail, watching the torch lights flickering through the windows, but she couldn’t tell who it was. There was no noise, no shouting, nothing but a quiet silence.
A car engine caught her attention and headlights blinded her. She raised her arm to shield her eyes as it slowed, drawing level with her. The window lowered, and the internal light revealed the driver looking straight at her. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she stepped back. He smiled, revealing teeth sharpened to points. Gasping, she fell back another step, and his smile became a cruel laugh.
“Girl, tell your dad we’re watching you both.”
Movement in the shadows beside him drew her attention. A figure leant forward, and she was trapped by a pair of glowing yellow, snake like eyes.
“There’s no magic in her.”
Lily couldn’t pull her gaze away from the magnetic yellow eyes. He was inside her head, crawling through her veins, sliding over her skin. It was violating, humiliating, and she was helpless to stop it. The car pulled away and the hold over her broke. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around her, watching the back lights of the car until it drove out of sight.
“False alarm.” Josh came jogging towards her. “The easel in the kitchen fell over. There’s no sign of any entry though. Nothing’s taken, and nothing’s broken.”
As soon as he was close enough she stepped into him, hugging her arms around him tightly.
“You’re freezing.” He caught her hand and pulled her into the cottage, shutting the door behind him.
“I’m so sorry. I’m not usually so jumpy, but I could have sworn someone was coming up the stairs. I overreacted.” Her mother was standing in the living room.
“It’s okay.” Lily couldn’t shake the coldness creeping through her. “Where’s the others?”
“They went out the back to make sure. They’ll be back in a minute,” Josh said, rocking from foot to foot.
“Could one of you pick up the fire, please? I’ll boil some water on the stove, everyone will be frozen.” Her mum went into the candle lit kitchen and Josh was beside Lily instantly. He held her tightly, kissing her forehead and her lips, his hands rubbing up and down her back.
“Do you take—oh!”
They sprung apart but her mother had gone back into the kitchen. There was no doubt she’d seen them kissing, even in the dim light of the candles.
“Damn, sorry.” Josh ran a hand through his hair. “I just—you look scared.”
“Matthew! You’re back! Lily? Matthew is back. Do you take sugar, Matthew?”
Josh touched her cheek gently and moved to the fireplace.
“You! You can go now, you’re not wanted here.” Her mother’s voice drifted from the kitchen.
“I get the message, Lynda, you don’t have to be rude.”
“Dad!” An urge to run to him overcame her and she turned as he came through the door. He darted towards her, catching her upper arms as she stumbled forwards on numb feet. He drew her into his warmth, and she clung to him, breathing in his scent. But still the cold wouldn’t leave her, instead it was getting worse.
“What happened?” he demanded. “What’s scared you?”
“There was a car.”
He led her to the sofa and sat beside her, keeping his arm around her as she huddled into his side, desperately trying to get warm. The numbness in her feet was spreading up her bare calves.
Her mother came in and stopped abruptly when she saw Lily huddled into Drew. Her lips thinned, and she sniffed before crossing to Josh. She held out a mug to him, the look of disdain aimed at him now. He took it with a quiet thanks, but she ignored him.
She held the other mug out to Lily, but she wouldn’t meet her eyes and Lily’s stomach clenched painfully.
“I’m sorry to cause such a commotion.” She sat in her chair as Nate came in with Jake and Matt, each of them carrying mugs.
“It’s fine, Mrs A. These places are so old it can sound creepy sometimes. Add in your easel falling, and the power-cut—” He stopped abruptly as the lights flickered and came on again. “Well, that was fast. Usually takes a while to fix when the entire village goes.”
Shivers racked through her as she realised the loss of electric wasn’t a coincidence but done deliberately. She huddled around her mug, drinking down as much as she could, trying to heat her freezing insides.
Drew pulled her in closer, but it was still cold, and she wasn’t getting the heat from the fire yet.
“You can go now,” her mother barked.
Drew started to speak but stopped when Matt handed him a mug of tea. “Thanks, Matt,” he said.
She heard her mother make a noise in the back of her throat, but she didn’t say any more.
Matt sat beside her and drew her into him and away from Drew. No one spoke as they drank, the tension in the room tangible, and it wound Lily’s insides tighter.
Drew drained his mug and got up. “I think at least two of you boys should bed down here for the night. I’d stay here if I thought I was welcome.”
Lily fought the urge to grab his hand and beg him to stay.
“There’s no need for anyone to stay, we’ll be absolutely fine,” her mother said.
“I want someone to stay.” Lily looked up at Drew.
“Of course.” Drew ignored her mother.
“We can stay,” Jake offered.
“No. Not you two.” Her mother was adamant.
“I can stay here with Nate,” Matt said, giving Jake an odd look.
“We don’t need anyone to stay.” Her mother stood and took their mugs, whether they were finished or not.
“Lynda, for Pete’s sake, just for once think of Lily before yourself!”
“Think of myself?” Her voice rose in pitch with each word. “How dare you?”
“I dare because she’s my daughter, not yours.”
“Mum, I’d feel safer if someone stayed here with us, please,” she begged.
Her internal struggle was clear to see, before resignation made her shoulders slump. “There’s no reason to be scared, but if you want Matt and Nate to stay, go ahead. You never listen to me anyway. I’m going to bed, I have a long journey tomorrow.”
Nate took the mugs from her. “We can sort it out, Mrs A. It’ll be all right.”
She gave him a tight smile, glanced at Lily, and then headed up the steps.
Lily slumped into herself. Another wedge between them.
“What car, Lily?” Drew caught her attention.
Matt touched her hand and snatched his fingers back. “Lord, you’re freezing! I mean, burn your verruca off cold!”
Drew touched her and hissed. “What happened?”
She tried to speak but her teeth chattered. Terror raced through her, she couldn’t feel her feet, her legs, and now her fingers were going numb.
“Nate, you’re going to have to warm her up,” Drew ordered, taking the mug from her. “Hold her hands and get the heat to travel down you and into her.”
“What? I’ll hurt her!” Nate shook his head. “What’s going on? What car?”
“Nate, do as I tell you,” snapped Drew. “She’s been cold for too long.”
Lily reached out to Nate, no longer able to talk she was shivering so much.
He took her hands in his and a tendril of warmth slid into her fingertips and up her arms. It crept through her veins like thick, warm butter, moving through every inch of her until she was warm again, from the tips of her toes, to the roots of her hair.
She sighed in relief, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“What’s going on?” Matt’s voice held a note of fear.
“Are you still cold?” Nate asked.
“No, I’m fine. I was just so cold, but you’ve warmed me up. Thank you, Nate.”
“Can you tell me about the car now?” Drew prompted her gently and she nodded, turning to him.
“There were two...things in the car. One of them had pointed teeth and he knew who I was. He knew who you were. He told me to tell you they were watching you, and me. And then...then...” She didn’t want to think about, didn’t want to visualise it again.
“Lily.” Drew caught her attention. “Did one of them have yellow eyes? Like reptile eyes?”
“Yes.” The urge to bolt from the room filled her. “He was in my head, crawling through me, he was—”
“He’s gone.” Drew’s voice was sharp, and it cut through her panic. “He was playing games with you, but he’s gone, and Nate’s got rid of the cold he left behind.”
“Okay, what the fuck is going on?” Matt demanded.
Drew looked at him. “Exactly what we’ve been trying to tell you for ages. Get in contact with your teacher, bring him here tomorrow. We’ve got to get to the bottom of what he’s doing here.”
“But he—”
“Are you an idiot as well as an asshole?” Drew barked at Nate. “That was a witch-hunter and a vampire that blew through here. They cut your power, created a diversion to get me out of the house. And now they’ve seen you as well. If the teacher has done his job, they’ll only see four regular idiots. If he hasn’t, then they’ll be back with the entire bloody Council.”
Nate looked at Matt and the twins before looking at Drew. “What do we do to keep her safe?”
“To be honest, you’re more in danger than she is.” He shrugged. “If I try to put a cover over you it might mess with what he’s done and alert them. I need to find out why he has you hidden.”
“What did he do to me?” she asked. “It felt like he was in me, crawling around. It was disgusting, violating.”
“He got into your head, your thoughts,” Drew said. “If he shows his face again I’ll kill him for that alone.”
“We’ll help you,” snarled Josh.
“Did he damage her?” Nate demanded, pushing up his glasses.
“No. He was warning her and me. They don’t know what you really are, or they’d have taken you with them.”
“He said I had no magic in me.”
“Really? No magic?” He perked up a bit. “The cover is working. Excellent. We need to keep it that way, which is why I need to know what that teacher of yours is up to.” He looked at Nate and then Lily. “There’s still things I haven’t told you. I thought I had more time. It depends on what he says.”
How much more could there be? She was overwhelmed but a quick look at her boys and she knew that they were devastated. Jonas’ pedestal had crumpled around them and it was destroying them.
“We still don’t know his story,” she tried to make it better. “He may be innocent of anything except wanting to keep you safe.”
“He lied to us.” Nate’s voice was flat, lifeless.
Matt grunted and buried his face in his hands, his elbows on his knees. The twins were cross legged on the floor, and she knew they were talking to each other.
Drew cleared his throat. “Listen, kids, people lie for all sorts of reasons. Not all liars are bad people, and not all good people are honest. Don’t hang the man until he can talk to you.”
“He’s had enough chances. He could have said at any time,” Nate muttered, staring at the floor.
“That tells me he has a very good reason. It’s just finding out what it is.” Drew checked his watch. “It’s late, we’re all shattered, and everything always seems worse at night. Who’s staying?”
“What’s with you two?” Matt looked at the twins. “She really didn’t want you here.”
“She walked in on us kissing,” Josh admitted.
“Is that why she practically shouted her head off about my tea?” Matt asked.
“She was covering for Lily, she has no idea what’s really going on,” Josh answered.
“Is she in danger?” Lily looked at Drew.
“No. She’s vocal about her hatred of it, but because of her lack of magic they can’t touch her.”
“She said she was disowned by her parents when she refused to give me up.”
“Yes, she was. Even though she has the same belief system as them, her love for you was stronger than that.”
“But she thinks I’m evil, that I have evil in me.”
“Lynda sees magic as being separate from the person, like cancer, or a parasite. It’s something to be hated, while you’re just the host. She doesn’t think you’re evil, she thinks your magic is.”
She rubbed her eyes tiredly. “It’s all so messed up. I used to wish fairy stories were real when I was little. That one day I’d find fairies at the bottom of the garden. It is real, but it’s nothing like that, is it?”
“Fairy tales have been sweetened up,” Drew said. “You should read the original Grimm’s documents. They weren’t writing stories, they were collecting folklore, writing down experiences they’d seen for themselves or heard from others. They were never about storytelling, but about documenting fact.”
“Well, that’s one way to cheer her up.” Matt snorted. “Just piss all over Disney for her.”
“Yeah, but if she stops comparing real life to fantasy, she’ll be able to cope more,” Nate remarked.
“Nate, you’ve just said the second most intelligent thing I’ve ever heard from you.”
“Second? What was the first?” Nate arched an eyebrow at Drew.
“When you asked me how we keep Lily safe. Now, do you know how to use protection spells on the doors and windows?”
“We can’t go drawing chalk patterns everywhere. Mum will have a fit,” Lily pointed out.
“Fair enough. I’ll charm them to let us know if anyone comes by. But another visit is highly unlikely. They’ve seen what they set out to see.”
“You?” Lily asked.
“Yes, and you, but mostly to make sure I’m not slaughtering half the village in a murderous blood bath.” He got up, dropped a kiss on her head, and went to the door. “Call me if you need me and let me know when the teacher gets here.” He went out, shutting the door behind him.
“I guess this is where we say sorry to you, especially me.” Nate sighed heavily.
“He hasn’t explained it yet. We won’t know anything until we talk to him.” She picked at her fingernails.
“But whoever was in that car was here to check on you and Drew.” Matt flopped back against the sofa. “Which means Drew was telling the truth about a Council.”
The twins got to their feet. “We’ll clean up the cups,” Josh muttered before following Jake into the kitchen.
“Are they okay? Are you okay?” she asked.
“No, not really.” Matt shoved his hands into his hair.
“I don’t think any of us are,” Nate added.
“I wish I could take it all away from you.” Lily’s heart sank for them. “I’d do anything to stop this.”
“The only way that would happen is if you’d never come here,” Nate said. “And that’s not something I even want to think about.”
“Thing is.” Nate caught her attention. “Even if we’d never met you, it wouldn’t change any of this, we just may never have known until it was too late.”
She knew what he was saying was right, but that didn’t stop her anger at Jonas from welling up. He’d better have an excellent reason for not telling him, or she’d...she’d...well, she hadn’t worked that bit out yet, but he wouldn’t like it whatever it was.
“Who’s staying with you?” Josh came back in with Jake. They stood shoulder to shoulder, hands in their pockets, with identical looks of vulnerability on their faces that tore at her soul.
“Would you mind if you all stayed?” she asked. “I’m being selfish, I know. It’ll be a squeeze, on the floor, but I want you all close to me.”
Jake nudged Josh, and they smiled at her. “We want to stay, but what about your mum?”
“We’d need to be sneakily quiet,” she replied. “You don’t have to, you can all go if you’d rather. I’ll be fine here.”
“I’m not going,” Matt said.
“Neither are we,” Josh agreed as they came to kneel on the floor in front of her.
“We’ve camped out in Nate’s room enough times, we can squeeze into yours. You have less junk so there’ll be more room anyway,” Matt said.
“Junk?” Nate raised his eyebrow at Matt.
“Yes, brother, junk.” Matt smiled at him.
“Thanks. I don’t want to be alone,” Lily admitted.
“Right, well, let’s stop yapping and get to bed. You two better slip away before Lynda wakes up tomorrow,” Nate ordered.
She was relieved the twins were staying as well. She knew they had each other, but they were hurting just as much as Nate and Matt. They needed to be together. The four of them. Five including her.
