Page 36 of Please Don’t Go (The Midnight Strike #1)

And Gray—he insists I call him that just like Kainoa insists I call him Kai—hasn’t once stopped bragging about our win.

Though Angel and Kai keep saying he’s lucky the girls and I were on his team because he was pretty much useless.

But I know that’s a lie; they’re just messing to annoy him because the truth is he’s really good. I think it pains them to admit that.

“So, the base of the dick just…” Angel demonstrates with his hands—one has his fingers in a half circle to indicate the vagina and the other hand is supposed to be the penis. He inserts his fingers through the hole then creates a fist.

“And it’s supposed to stop the cum from getting out then?” Gray asks, disgusted, perplexed, and intrigued.

I don’t know why but the guys seem really invested or maybe they’re confused. I’m not sure, but either way, they’re still talking about knotting.

“Here.” Daniel holds a water bottle for me. “With lemon juice. Just the way you like it.”

I see the pulp floating about as I take it.

Recently he’s been doing more than is deemed necessary like having lemon water ready for me.

I know he’s doing it out of gratitude for letting me live with me.

I told him it’s not necessary, but he doesn’t listen, so I’ve given up reminding him.

I realized it’s easier if I just let him be because he’s going to do something whether I want him to or not.

“Thanks,” I say appreciatively and take two sips of it just as he pushes his sister, who’s sitting next to me, out of the way.

He literally squeezes himself between us and she grumbles and pushes him back. That only ensues a pushing war, but she’s not a match for Daniel because he hardly budges.

“You know, there’s space right over there.” She points at the space between Noah and Angel.

“Well, go sit over there.”

She rolls her eyes. “I can’t stand you.”

“Love you too,” he returns, voice arrogant, and I can’t help but smile a little at that. I don’t know how he does it, but he must’ve sensed my lips moving because he’s staring at me, those rich amber eyes locked on my mouth.

I look away, watching Kai and Noah pull out stuff covered in aluminum foil from the large blue cooler they brought with them.

“Vi, Josie, have you guys ever eaten spam musubi?” Vienna nods merrily but I shake my head. “You’re in luck because you’re about to.” He hands me and everyone a small rectangular thing covered in the foil and Noah hands out something larger, also covered in the foil. “Prepare to fall in love.”

I unwrap the small rectangular one and assume it’s the musubi because it’s covered in dry seaweed and inside there’s rice and spam.

Everyone is already eating theirs, but Kai and Daniel are staring at me expectantly.

“Stop looking at me.”

“I made it with lots of love, so I need to see you fall in love with it,” Kai explains.

“He’s weird like that,” Angel says through a mouthful.

“What’s your excuse?” I question Daniel.

“Seeing you try something new.” He grabs his phone and holds it up.

My cheeks burn. This can’t be happening. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to record your first spam musubi experience.” I hear the smile in his voice, but now I’m self-conscious because everyone is staring at me.

“He’s very dad-like. Does this all the time. Pretty sure he has pictures of all of us trying different things. So just let him be.” Angel takes one last bite of his musubi. Wow, he scarfed that down.

“ Right .” Gray snorts. “Pictures of all—” He grunts and I only catch a glimpse of Kai digging his elbow in his rib cage.

“Come on, Jos, try it.” Daniel absently places his hand on my thigh.

Any other time I wouldn’t have cared, but everyone’s eyes follow the movement.

They’re fixated on it and us because they’re staring hard, but it only lasts a second before they’re looking away and getting lost in their own conversation.

As if they knew I really wanted them to stop looking.

I take a bite and hum in delight. “Whoa, okay. This is good.” I swallow and take another bite. Kai looks pleased with himself then gets immersed in a conversation with Vi.

Daniel puts his phone down and removes his palm. “Right?”

I nod, eating mine slowly to savor it and Daniel catches me doing that.

“Have mine.” He sets it on my lap and grabs the bigger thing wrapped in foil.

“No, I don’t want to?—”

“I’ve eaten a lot of these. Plus, we have tortas .” He removes the foil and sure enough there’s a torta underneath it.

“Thank—this is really good,” I say instead because he gives me this look that warns me not to thank him.

“Yeah, you’re welcome by the way,” Pen deadpans at her brother.

He sighs exhaustedly. “I told you I was going to be busy. Did you forget about the swimming lessons?”

“I’m sure Josie would’ve understood.”

“Understood what?” I ask.

“That you would’ve been okay to cancel the lesson. Our parents own a panadería and met me halfway to deliver the bolillos for the tortas . Danny was supposed to come but didn’t.” She stares at her brother under her thick lashes, irritated when he shrugs indifferently.

I mask the shock because I had no idea his parents owned a bakery and now to think of it, I don’t think I really know him. Though it’s my fault because I’ve never gone out of my way to ask about him. It’s always the other way around.

“I’ll go next time, I promise, Pen.” He sweetly smiles at her, but his lips look a little too forced, like he’s fighting between looking happy or not.

That satisfies Pen because she lets it go, not noticing the tension behind his eyes or shoulders. While everyone is busy eating and talking, I gently jab his side to get him to look at me. When he does, I smile at him and instantly notice the tension from him subside.

I communicate with my facial expression if he’s okay. I’m not sure if I did a good job, but when he smiles at me, small and soft, neither nodding nor shrugging, I know he understood what I’m asking.

I shouldn’t but I take his hand in mine when no one is looking and squeeze it. I attempt to let it go, but he holds on to it. He squeezes in return before he lets it go. Then we proceed to scoot closer to each other.

Not very confident I won’t fuck this up, but he definitely needs a person or friend or someone to confide in.

Whatever it is, I’ll be.