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EMORY

“ I ’m so tired today,” Sienna groans. She flops down on the mat next to me, where Katie is stretching. “I can’t graduate soon enough.”

“I hear residency is a walk in the park,” Katie says.

I snort a laugh and lean over my right leg.

My eyes lift to where Aiden is rolling out his quad muscle, wearing low slung shorts and no shirt.

The movement is obscene. His groin dips to the floor, the powerful muscles of his back flex.

I feel hot and tight as I watch him from under my lashes, just like I did in the bathroom yesterday.

“What’s going on with you?” Sienna asks.

I jerk my gaze back to her. Katie has a knowing smile on her face, but she dips her chin to hide it.

“Nothing.”

Sienna’s eyes narrow. “You’re both being weird. He was distracted at family dinner last night. He left before dessert. He never does that.”

I make a non-committal noise. I spent last night hiding from him at Leo’s apartment, watching reality TV and playing cards with Tyler and Leo.

She puts her hands on the floor. “You know what? I’ll ask him myself.”

Oh no. I don’t need her investigating. And maybe—maybe Sienna can help. Maybe both Katie and Sienna can. I’m not practiced at making new friends. But with them, I’d really like to try.

“I think he’s annoyed at me because I won’t open up to him.”

Katie’s brows go up. “He’s not exactly an open book himself.”

“He’s been trying, though.” I switch legs. “We’re supposed to be getting to know each other. I just—I find it incredibly hard. I have trouble letting people in. Especially men.”

Katie is nodding, a small smile on her lips.

Sienna’s brows are tugged together. “But you’re not shy.”

“No, I’m not. But I don’t talk about myself much.” I blow out a breath and look down at my leg instead of her face. “I don’t have a lot of friends. And that’s okay. I’m choosy about who I let in, but I haven’t let anyone new in for years, it seems. I’ve forgotten how.”

“I hear that,” Katie mutters.

“You do?” My gaze lifts in surprise.

“Oh yeah,” she says, leaning back on her hands. “I had no one for years, and keeping my walls up became second nature.”

I sag in relief. “Letting them down feels high stakes to me. Like Aiden will ask me a question, and my natural inclination is to snap back instead of opening up.”

“I like that about you,” Sienna says cheerfully.

“You do?” I can’t help my look of surprise. “I’m not very nice.”

“Yeah, but he needs someone not nice. You look like you want to bite him and I think that’s healthy.

” She grins, and I can’t help my surprised laugh.

“Besides, it’s more fun that way. You’re real in a way that so many people aren’t.

” She shrugs. “Even if you weren’t with him, I’d want to be friends with you. ”

I feel like I’ve been shoved off a cliff. My breath tangles in my chest at Sienna’s easy admission.

Katie gives me a commiserating smile, like I know. Sienna is the opposite of me—free, open, honest. Her walls seem nonexistent.

“Got any suggestions for me? I really need to make an effort.”

“You do?” Sienna gives me a bemused smile.

“I feel a bit guilty.” I wince. “Aiden isn’t terrible. He’s making an effort. I think I owe it to him to do the same.”

Her smile grows. “Not terrible, eh?”

Katie laughs softly.

I think about the hurt I heard in Aiden’s voice the other night. I don’t hate him. In fact, I think I might like him. Just a little bit. That little ember inside me that won’t go out. Maybe that ember is necessary to make this work, just like letting him in is.

I wipe my palms on my pants. “I want to meet him halfway. We need to get more comfortable with each other, especially in public.”

Sienna’s gaze is far away while she thinks.

“What are you afraid of?” Katie’s question is quiet, but there’s steel beneath. That’s Katie, I’m starting to realize. She has hidden depths. I think she might have lots of secrets.

“So many things,” I say ruefully. “But deep down, it feels like I have a lot to lose. Like if I start opening up to Aiden, what if he likes me less? What if I show him all my soft parts and he uses them against me?”

“You can trust him,” Sienna says staunchly. “Besides, he’s shy too. He understands.”

I turn to her in surprise. “Is he?”

“You don’t see it as much because he’s not like that with you.

” She has a small, secret smile on her face while she talks.

There’s love in that smile. “You fire him up. But he’s shy with others.

He takes on everything for the family and he never gets to be himself.

At the estate, his walls are down, but in public, he’s more like you than you realize. ”

I glance at Aiden, seeing him in a new light.

“You can trust him,” she says quietly. “He would never deliberately hurt someone. And he’ll keep your secrets. He’s spent his entire life keeping mine.”