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We helped Cassie gather up the supplies for the bomb-removal and said goodbye at the stairwell door. Cassie told us both to be careful of the slippery rat guts on the way down. I nodded. Didn't really know what else to say.
"I lost it back there," Zombie said, eyes dropping to the floor and boot scraping the carpet like an embarrassed little kid talking to his crush. "That wasn't cool."
"Your secret is safe with me," she tells him. He smiles. She looks at me. "Yours too."
Zombie glances at me and I look away. "Thanks."
Zombie looks at her, brows furrowed but not wanting to question it. "Sullivan. . . Cassie. . . in case you don't. . ." She waited. She didn't push him. "They made a major mistake," he blurted a second later," the dumb bastards, when they didn't start by killing you first."
"Benjamin Thomas Parish, that was the sweetest and most bizarre compliment anyone's ever given me." She glanced at me, then kissed him on the cheek. And he kissed her right back on the cheek. I felt kind of left out, so he kissed me on the lips.
"That was officially the weirdest threesome I've ever been apart of," I tell them.
"Does that mean you've been in others?" Zombie, grinning cheekily. Cassie snorts a laugh. Even I shake my head.
"That's for me to know, and for you to dream about," I say. Cassie makes a face and changes the subject.
"Get out of here," she tells us. "And if either of you let anything happen to my little brother, I'll hunt you both down like a dog."
"I may be dumb, but I'm not that dumb."
Zombie takes my hand and Cassie disappears as we descend down the stairwell.
When we get to the lobby Zombie stops moving and wraps his arms completely around me, holding me tight. One hand holding my head against his chest and the other on my waist.
"What's this for?" I mumble into his odd yellow sweater. His answer rumbles in his chest, deep and raspy.
"I just wanted to hug you. And I wanted to say something but I don't think I can yet. Maybe because I'm worried you'll hit me."
I snort. "Not promising anything, sap. Just tell me... preferably before this hotel blows."
He laughs a breathless kind of laugh. "Okay, uh..." He pulls away, runs his hand down the curve of my cheek. His eyes are kind of teary, which makes me worried. What the hell is he so scared of telling me? "You know, I've never done this before--"
"Spit it out, Ben."
"I love you," he blurts. His cheeks flush and his next words are rushed. "I was thinking about it when we split up in Wright-Patterson, and then again when I couldn't find you, and then again when Ringer saved us, and then again when we were cuddling, and then Evan almost killed you, and then--"
"Okay, I get it, you love me," I say, laughing. A smile spreads across his cheeks. Is this the first time I've laughed in front of him? "I love you too, Ben."
"Yeah?" He asks. "Well, I kind of figured, but sometimes I can't tell with you..."
I snort, and give him a light shove to the door. "Come on. If Cassie doesn't see us cross the road soon she'll have an aneurysm."
