Four Letter Word (Love Logic #2) - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,108

casual is undermined by the deepening red in his cheeks and the tightness of his voice. But Riot doesn’t call him out on it, simply puts the key back into his pocket.

“Pancakes, yum,” Bishop says, sniffing the air.

“They’re nearly finished if you want to get some coffee and have a seat,” he answers. “How are you feeling, by the way? I assume the doctors gave you the all clear?”

“Yup. They told me to take it easy for a few days and limit screen time if it’s giving me a headache, but other than that I’m fine. Well, aside from this giant lump on my head.” He touches the side of his head to demonstrate and winces.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of you, little corn muffin,” I assure him, getting up to make him a cup of coffee.

“Did you just call me a corn muffin or is this concussion worse than I thought?”

Hudson snorts, and Riot chuckles. “They’re having a competition to see who can come up with better nicknames. You and I are the judges.”

“A competition?” Bishop repeats. “Really?” The giddiness in his voice nearly breaks my heart. I wasn’t only hurting Hudson by holding a grudge against him, I was hurting Bishop too. We may have always put him in between us, but we never really expected him to choose, not until I decided to write Hudson off. Bishop spent the entirety of his senior year bouncing between the two of us, trying to keep us both happy, and that was mostly my fault.

“How’d my first attempt rate?” I ask playfully.

“Negative a billion.” Bishop wrinkles his nose and shakes his head.

“You tell him, my little blueberry,” Hudson champions, flipping over a pancake.

“Ew, that’s just as bad. I think you’re both going to lose this competition.”

“Hey, we can’t both lose,” I argue indignantly.

“We’ll see about that,” he scoffs.

Riot

I jerk awake sometime in the afternoon, in a tangle of limbs while Hell’s Kitchen plays in the background. Thank god for Hudson’s ridiculously huge, deep couch, otherwise a few of us might’ve ended up on the floor.

I rub my hand over my eyes, wiping away the sleepy crusts, and yawn.

“This is nice,” Bishop says sleepily, his head resting on my shoulder. I crane my neck to see where Leo and Hudson ended up, and spot them cuddled up together on the other end of the couch, all four sets of our legs creating a messy web.

“I feel like we need a picture of them, or they’ll try to deny their cuddle session later,” I joke, nodding toward them. Bishop lifts his head to see them and smiles.

“What happened with them last night? The last time I checked Leo was still too busy snarling every time Hudson came near to work anything out.”

“The magic of emotional upheaval and alcohol happened,” I answer.

“So just like that everything’s all better?” He sounds incredulous, and I don’t blame him.

“I doubt it, but I think they’re at least on the right road now.”

He nods and puts his head back down against my shoulder. “You really love me or was that just emotional upheaval talking?”

My heart twists, and I press a gentle kiss against the top of his head. “I love you,” I say easily. “How could I not love you? You’re sweet and sexy and smart.” He laughs as I list off just a few of my favorite things about him.

“Whatever,” he scoffs. “I really do love you too.”

“I know.” I put my hand under his chin and use it to tilt his face up so I can kiss his lips. Just like when I kissed Leo for the first time, that little alarm sounds in the back of my mind, warning me that if I’m going to leave, I’d better do it soon. I’m getting too attached to these men. Bishop isn’t the only one I’m falling in love with. The problem is, I can’t decide if that is a problem at all. Can I see myself setting down roots here?

“Be gentle with him,” Hudson says, his voice gravelly from sleep. I feel Bishop’s lips curve against mine in a smile.

“I promise I won’t break Riot,” he teases.

“I’m serious, the doctor said you need to take it easy a few more days,” Hudson reminds him.

“I was being gentle, I swear,” I assure him.

“I’m hungry. What time is it?” Leo asks, cuddling closer to Hudson with his eyes still closed. Hudson’s eyes widen, and his cheeks tint pink as he holds still as if he’s afraid if