Page 155 of Boys Who Hunt

Ivy grabs her and pulls her closer. “Don’t get too excited. It’s only for a little while.”

“Aw …” Cora pouts.

“For as long as you need it,” I say, adding a smile.

Suddenly, she runs up to me and hugs my legs, and I don’t know what to do with it other than stare. “Thank you!”

I just look at Ivy and back at Cora as a kind of warmth I’ve never felt before floods my entire body.

What … is happening?

“Hey, why does he get all the thanks?” Silas says as he strolls inside. “It was my idea.”

Cora swiftly releases me.

Ivy folds her arms. “She’s right. This is a castle compared to where we live.”

Maybe she’s right. We are fucking rich, after all, and we’ve never experienced any kind of poverty, let alone having to take care of a kid too. It must’ve taken a toll on her.

“Can we go up to our room?” Cora asks.

“Of course, you can,” Max says as he walks in too. “I’ll show you where it is.”

Dammit. I really didn’t think this through.

Cora grabs Max’s hand and drags him up the stairs, making me feel some kind of way I can’t describe as I follow everyone.

“Fine, I’ll come too,” Silas grumbles, rolling his eyes, almost as if the mere idea of being nice annoys him.

Or maybe he’s just not used to feeling … something. Whatever it is.

Because I clearly noticed a shift in his behavior since he discovered she has a kid. And he’s not the only one.

I breathe out a sigh and head toward the guest room with everyone. The moment Max opens the door, Cora begins to squeal at the small four-poster queen bed with fluffy blankets. She immediately runs to it and belly flops onto it with a giggle, rubbing the mattress.

“It’s so soft!”

Ivy giggles as she enters the room and looks around. “This is … spacious.”

“There’s a bathroom to the left with a tub,” Max says, opening all the doors. “And here’s your closet.”

“Wow,” Ivy says, her lips still parted as she gawks at all the stuff in the guest room. “This is … almost too much.”

“No, it’s not!” Cora yells, making us all laugh. “I love it!”

“I’m glad you’re happy,” Ivy says.

“Aren’t you going to test out your bed?” Max coaxes her.

“Um …” Ivy blushes.

“Go ahead, it’s yours now. You can stay as long as needed.”

“I just … kind of miss my things,” Ivy responds, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“You’ve got more than enough stuff here,” Silas says.

“Yeah, but not my clothes,” she says.