I watch the two sleeping men clinging to me. I smile to myself looking at Mason. I should take my phone so I can take a picture of his sleeping cute face. He would probably not appreciate being called cute. And that is exactly why I must do it.

I look up to where my phone is. I spend 10 minutes trying to move without any of them waking up. I need to take these pictures. I may use them as leverage someday.

I have a wide grin on my face. I'm imagining that situation when I will threaten to release his cute pictures to the world if he doesn't give me what I want. I reach and Mason stirs. I halt my movements immediately. He shifts and sleeps on his back.

I blow a small breath of relief when he doesn't wake. I take my phone and I take many pictures of Mason first, on all angles. Making all sorts of funny faces on the one I include myself. When I am satisfied with my work with Mason, I turn to Jose.

I take a few pictures, then I raise the camera so I can take one of us together.

My soul almost leaves my body when I hear, "I hope that's not blackmail content."

I gasp so hard Jose stirs before he holds me tighter.

"You gonna wake him." I whisper

Mason moves closer with mischievous intention. I throw my phone on the other side of Jose. He is too late to grab it.

"You know you won't win if I wake him, right?" he whispers as his hands start caressing my stomach in a distracting way.

I groan. He just grins and kisses me. His hands explore my body, the touch isn't sexual, its affectionate and centering. We pull apart and link our heads together.

"I love you, sweetheart. Never forget that, okay?" I hear the seriousness and a sad note in his voice.

Something is wrong. Does it have something with whatever they were doing last night, I wonder. Were they doing mob business? Is that why I can smell faint blood on them.

My brows furrow because I feel this is more significant than he's saying.

His face softens as he smiles. "Don't overthink it, Zara. I just love you, there's no hidden meaning."

I roll my eyes, but I accept his diversion.

"Yes, you both love each other. Yappie yappie. One of you needs to make me coffee." Jose's voice come from behind me. His eyes are still closed.

"Don't tell me you've been awake all this time." I mutter

He opens his sleepy eyes. "And what if I was?" he smiles a lazy smile

"Then I'd say you are a creep." I lean closer and I kiss his sleepy face. He grins wider.

"I think you should come live with us at the house so you can give me kisses every morning." He says casually but I know its anything but.

I look over at Mason and he looks like his face echoes what Jose just says.

"Whoa, lions, next you'll be going down on your knees." I chuckle lightly and get up

They both stare at me like a part of them considers it.

"Oh my god, stop that. We see each other every day."

"Fine, but the invite still stands. It'll be nice having you with us." Mason says.

I nod when I see they won't take my no for a final answer. I know how to pick my battles, and this isn't one.

I turn on the coffee machine that only Simba uses. I make them coffee. They shower and they each get out with a cup of coffee waiting. We sit on the bed. The time is saying its lunch break and we need to go to school.

"So, are you guys going to tell me where you were last night?" I throw the question out there

"No." Jose answers simply

I smile, but halfway the smile, my face gets sour from sadness. Again, the reality of our situation descends on me. No matter what, we can never be anything more. They are who they are. They have the lives they have. And I am me. I'm still the daughter of the betrayer. And they are taking a big chance even being with me here.

I bring my cup on my lips to try and hide my trembling lips. I blow a breath on the coffee instead. Tears burn harder and I can't stop them.

It's all a mirage.

We are a mirage.

We may feel real feelings, but it's all not real, it can never be a real thing.

"Estrellita, don't." His hands reach for my cup, and he takes it from my slightly trembling hands. Jose pulls me to him after he hands Mason my cup.

"Sweetheart, please don't think about that." Mason tries to comfort me, they both do.

"It can never be real. No matter what we feel." My own voice is pathetic even to my own ears. I close my eyes and my tears falls harder.

"No, baby, don't say that." Jose brushes my hair. I pull from him.

I look at both of them, and they look pained. "You don't have to placate me with lies. I know what we are. A lie. A last chance at finishing our business with each other because we have no future." I pause to take a breath. They don't even come in. They know everything I speak is true. "We may fool each other but we don't have to lie. When we finish school, I will go to med school and all of you will resume your positions, we will be enemies again and...and..." I sob as words can't come anymore.

"Baby, please don't cry." Jose sounds like he is dying a little himself.

"Sweetheart, we are not letting you go." Mason kisses my tear-stained face. Jose wipes the others. I stare at Mason. Mason doesn't give his word lightly. I don't see lies in his eyes.

"But how could we have us?"

"Let us worry about that, baby, okay?" Jose says in my ear.

A knock breaks the moment. Mason rises and opens the door. Leo and Bas fill the room. Bas sits next to me, and Leo kneels before me. Mason picks up the bag they came with and places it on my drawer.

"What's wrong, Hoshi?" Leo kisses my wet hands

I shake my head. I don't want to cry anymore.

"She's upset because we can't have us after the school ends." Jose says as one of his hands caressing my stomach in soothing motions. I find it so comforting and lulling.

"We are not leaving you, Zar." Bas repeats Mason's words and my brows furrow

"We can't have it. I just..." I sigh. "I know why we can't have it and I don't want you guys to fight with your fathers, everything's already been made difficult by my father. I can't separate you with your fathers too. They'll...they'll just blame me, and I don't want that for you." I blow a breath. "Its fine. We'll be fine." I lie. Tears squeeze out of me as I lie. "We have now." I smile with tears rolling down my cheeks.

A lump forms when I look at all of them. They look devastated.

"No! Fucking no!" Jose looks like he wants to shake me. I try to move from his chest, and he squeezes me tighter.

"Joseph, let me go."

"Fucking never." His hands loosen after he says it.

I take the waiting towel from Leo. I wipe my face, starting to feel weird as to why I just got so emotional.

I breathe.

"Look, we all know what it is. We all love each other but we can't have more...in the medium term anyway. It is what it is. But I don't want us to waste the time we have now. Like it or not we are going to reach a fork at the end of the year. I don't want you guys to think you have obligations to me. I understand what it is." I swallow the lump that's forming as I try to be strong.

None of them say anything. All emotions passing their faces. But I smile. I kiss Leo's lips first. I move to Bas, then Jose and lastly, I get up and kiss the statue that's Mason in the middle of the room.

"Now, we are already late for this period. Maybe you can use your Syndicate powers so we can be allowed in?" I look at Bas whom I share the class we are 10 minutes late to.

All of them just stare at me like I'm insane. I fold my lips, trying not to laugh.

"Aye, it's that time of the month, boys. Relax." I try to joke

They look at me like I've grown a second head

"Time of the month is a discreet word we use for periods, I know none of you have sisters, but now you are in the secret." I gesture with my hands

After a second, they all seem like they got out of the trance or whatever is wrong with them.

"Aren't you on birth control?"

"I am." I sigh. "I was trying to get us back to lighthearted conversations."

Bas rolls his eyes.

"I am going to freshen up, we better be ready to go to class when I come back, boys. Chop chop." I clap my hands and I go to the bathroom.

The rest of the day is back to semi-normal, and we have dinner in town.