Lucky Strike (Super Harem #1) - Catherine Banks Page 0,44

reasoning for staying away.”

“But it didn’t work,” Vortex said. “The truth is…we love you, Lucy. We love you and we are miserable without you. Please. Please let us back into your life. Please take us back as your boyfriends.”

“Please,” Hurricane said.

I blinked several times, but they stayed where they were.

So, they weren’t illusions.

“I’m not going to separate from him,” I said sternly. “I understand you may not see eye to eye with him, but I’m not going to suddenly decide to break up with him because you realize it bothers you too much and you can’t let it go. I’m not making a choice. Either you’re all in, or you’re gone. I won’t choose. Gargoyle isn’t making me choose. T isn’t making me choose. And you two won’t make me either. So, don’t try to get me to take you back if you aren’t all in.”

They stared at me, silent, eyes wide, and then both nodded.

“Agreed,” they said simultaneously.

I blinked. “What?”

Each took one of my hands and said, “We agree to your terms.”

Okay. I hadn’t expected to get this far.

“Um, well…awesome.”

Hurricane kissed my cheek and threw his arms around me. “I’m sorry.”

Vortex hugged me and Hurricane. “I’m sorry, too.”

Tears started to burn my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I’m sorry, too.”

“So, are you free tomorrow for a date?” Vortex asked, still hugging me.

“Maybe. The new director keeps trying to convince me return to the interviews and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep her off my back,” I said, pulled out of their holds, and sat on my bed.

They sat in the chairs around my dining table, turning them to face me.

“She’s trying to get as many people as possible to go on interviews with the news stations. We think part of it has to do with how much you embarrassed that douche on his own television show. Oh, he’s been cancelled by the way. Not sure if you knew,” Hurricane said.

I shook my head. “I hadn’t heard that. I’m not surprised and not sad about it either.”

“You shouldn’t be. You totally called him out for his sexism. There’s zero chance he would have tried to bring that up to either Hurricane or I,” Vortex said. “I’m still curious who took those photos. I know the restaurant and the opera are trying to find out who it was because they violated their rules.”

“I bet it was Cobalt. He’s likely still bitter that you’ve got us now and he’s chopped liver,” Hurricane said.

It could have been Cobalt, but that seemed a little petty, even for him.

“It doesn’t matter who it was. I just have to be more careful. Plus, the cat’s out of the bag as it is, so I don’t think hiding is necessary.” I laughed and shook my head. A year ago, I would have never thought my life would be going this way.

Oh, how time could change you.

“Oh, actually.” I cleared my throat. “I should tell you two something before we officially get back together.”

Their eyes widened slightly.

“My parents are villains. I hate them and have distanced myself from them—well, they abandoned me when I was a kid. They’re sort of back now, though, and I think you should hear the whole story from me before you hear it anywhere else. Also, please keep this a secret. I don’t want anyone here finding out.”

“Why are you so skeptical of the Association?” Hurricane asked.

“There are things going on that you don’t know about. They’re doing things that are immoral and I intend to end them.”

Vortex’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “You’re going to destroy the Association?”

I laughed and shook my head. “No way! I just need to get rid of the speck of dirt that is within the Association. It’s like cleaning your room, right? You don’t throw everything away just because there’s mud on the carpet. You just clean the carpet.”

I was actually pretty impressed with my analogy and found myself smiling.

“Are you going to tell us about that, too?” Hurricane asked.

I bit the inside of my lip. Should I tell them? I wasn’t one hundred percent certain they weren’t going to rat me out or weren’t part of it. It hurt to even think, but it was a possibility.

Though, they hadn’t ratted on T yet.

I would tell them about my parents, leaving their names out of it, and I would leave everything else for later. It wasn’t time for that.

By the time I had finished my edited recounting of my childhood and