We fell silent as Hannah rounded the corner into the kitchen. “Morning,” she mumbled, rubbing her temples and wincing.
I smiled smugly before yelling, “MORNING!”
She cringed. “Ugh, not so loud.”
I shoved a plate and a glass of water at her as soon as she’d taken a seat next to her boyfriend. “Eat up. Kian, can you give us a minute?”
He finished off his plate, carried his dish to the sink, then disappeared through the kitchen door. I took his seat. Hannah picked up her fork, but only pushed her food around her plate. “Please don’t be mad.”
I sighed. “I’m not mad, Hannah. But you know what we have to do—whatIhave to do.”
“I hate that you’re so responsible,” she grumbled.
“I have to be. Dinner with your folks proved that. You’re smart, maybe even smarter than me, and you know that I need to play by the rules.”
She fell silent, fork scraping against the plate but never going to her mouth. Something lingered between us, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint it. I was about to excuse myself and go shower when she spoke again.
“Did you set up that bedroom just for me?”
I nodded, but she wasn’t looking at me and missed it. “Yeah,” I said out loud, “I did.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
I shrugged. “I want you to know that you’re welcome here. You don’t everhaveto stay here, but I wanted you to have the choice.”
Her lips twitched into a flicker of a grin, then she blew out a breath. “Can I at least finish my breakfast before you make me face the fire?”
“Only if you tell Kian to stop hovering in the hall and go home—unless he plans to grab the vacuum and make himself useful.” I stood with a groan that came out louder than I intended. I was dreading what came next.
“What’s your problem?”
“I need to have a very uncomfortable conversation with your mom, then an even moreuncomfortable conversation with my boss.”
“James?”
I made a face. “Does everyone in this town know him?”
“I was drunk off my ass last night and I couldstilltell something happened between you two.”Do I tell her to watch her language?“Besides, you talk in your sleep—loudly.”
“No I don’t.”
Hannah dropped her fork and put on a sleepy voice. “‘Mm, James, that tickles… more.’”
“Oh God, please stop.”
“Not quite—sleepier. Plus, you were begging himnotto stop.”
“Okay, okay. I talk in my sleep.”
She smirked. “What did you want him to keep doing, anyway?”
“Hannah.”
“Was he?—”
I cut her off, pointing to her half eaten plate. “Finish that before I shove your face in it.” I could hear her laughing all the way down the hall.
To my surprise,the call with Erin went over better than expected. At first, she was a little defensive—maybe a lot defensive—but she realized that fighting with me would get us nowhere, and by the end, she admitted that I handled the situation well. To my surprise, she eventhankedme before hanging up, so quickly that I’d have missed it if I weren’t paying such close attention.
