Stephen gritted his teeth.

This was not paying off for his friend, or Dorcas.

He needed to pair them somehow, and he was tired of Xavier's bad attitude. Up to now, he'd managed not to kill anyone needlessly, but that didn't mean they were going to have much longer before he snapped.

"Don't touch her," Stephen instructed him. "Be the friend she needs but don't make her think you want something more, and don't fucking replace him."

"Hey, we asked you, okay? What did I miss when I was busy?" ...