I offered her the bacon. “You could cut these into pieces for me and fry ‘em.”
A nod. “Yes, chef... I should probably give them their drinks first though,” she said, picking up two of the four glasses of wine. “But I’ll be right back.”
And she was. Wasting no time to place their drinks on the coffee table. I smiled at myself after overhearing her say, “Dean needs help navigating the kitchen.”
Everything already laid out on the counter said otherwise.
When she returned, stepping up beside me at the stove with a subtle smile on her face, she took a sip from her wine and got to work preparing the bacon strips. Not even a few minutes later, Kira approached the counter to refill the wine glass in her hand.
Aiden’s wine glass.
The subtle raise of Lily’s eyebrows said enough as she moved the bacon around the frying pan.
I was mixing the pesto in with the cooked pasta as I eyed Kyra. She was purposely taking her time filling up the one glass — maybe even wondering if she could get away with giving him less.
“How long have you known Aiden?” I asked.
Kira looked up, not expecting the question or for anyone to be watching, before she smiled quickly. “Almost three months, I think.”
“And he treats you okay?” I tried to keep it as casual as possible, like it was a throwaway question as I focused on the food.
Lily’s stirring slowed.
“Yes, of course,” Kyra said quickly, waving off the topic. “He just gets a little passionate sometimes. But he is an Aries.”
I nodded slowly. If something was going on, pushing her for answers wouldn’t help. So I half smiled, attempting to keep the conversation going while Aiden entertained himself with his guitar. “I don’t really know anythin’ about astrology stuff, so I’ll take your word for it.”
She smiled a little more comfortably. “Do you know your sign?”
“Scorpio.”
“Another water sign.” She leaned against the counter. “Interesting.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Lily is one too. A Pisces,” Kira smiled knowingly. “Your signs actually make a really good pairing in a relationship. You connect deeply on an emotional and personal level.”
I turned to Lily to find her smiling to herself. She knew already.
“Good to know,” I chuckled, bumping my arm off hers before she bumped me right back bashfully.
The moment was going okay for a little while — Kira was smiling without forcing it — until the guitar stopped and Aiden called out from across the room. “What’s taking you so long with that drink, babe?”
Kira straightened, her expression tense, as she picked up the wine glass and headed back to the couch. He didn’t thank her when she placed the glass in front of him, masking her unease with a pleasant smile as she did. Instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the cushion, wrapping his arms around her tightly before kissing her on the cheek.
When dinner was done, I offered to wash the dishes — mainly to get out of listening to another of Aiden’s one-sided conversations now that he was under the influence.
As I finished filling the sink with soapy water, Lily said something about having a shower.
My ears pricked before I met her gaze and the cheeky smile she flashed in my direction before she slipped into her bedroom and closed the door.
I washed the dishes fast and stacked them on the draining rack, haphazardly dried my hands on a dish towel, and then told the others Lily and I were probably going to bed — definitely going to bed.
Kira suggested she and Aiden go to bed too, but I wasn’t really paying attention. My mind was already heading straight for the gutter as I entered Lily’s room and closed the door. I locked it as a precaution and listened closely to the sound of the shower.
The running water shut off, so I waited outside the door instead. Folding my arms and leaning against the frame until it opened inward.
She was dressed in a pair of light blue satin pajama shorts and a button-up shirt to match. Drying her hair with a towel until she gasped at me standing there and laughed quietly at her own reaction.
