“The what?” I can’t keep the bewilderment out of my voice.
Louis shifts on the couch, wincing a little as he reaches for a brightly colored bundle on the shelf with his good hand. “He’s not wearing a costume,Sinc. It’s not Halloween,” he says reproachfully, like I’m the one who’s suddenly started acting like a crazy person. “The wings go with his leash.”
He holds up the leash, and sure enough, there’s another pair of tiny wings attached. They flutter cheerfully, like they’re excited to be included.
“His harness clips to this so we can go for walks when it’s warm enough,” Louis explains proudly, like a dad showing off. “He loves the attention.”
“You walk a lizard,” I repeat, my voice flat. “On a leash.”
“Best wingman ever,” Kevin calls from the floor, where he’s currently destroying Casey atFIFA. “You should see all the girls who stop to pet him.”
Olivier bounces over from the window. “Can we take him out? I’ve never seen a real dragon up close,” he says eagerly.
“He’s not an actual dragon, Gags,” Ethan says with a grin. “Though he does look pretty prehistoric.”
Louis carefully lifts the weird creature out of its tank with his good hand. He brings it up to his chest with a gentleness that makes my heart do a weird flip, and the strange animal snuggles right into him.
“He’s so calm,” Olivier says, tentatively touching its spiky back with his index finger. “In Québec, my grand-mère, she had chickens, but nothing like this.”
“Beardies are actually great pets,” Lou explains like a zookeeper giving a tour. “They’re super low-maintenance, so they’re great if you travel a lot. I’d love a dog or a cat, but it wouldn’t be fair since I travel so much.”
“May I hold him?” Ollie asks politely, and Lou’s face lights up.
“Of course!” He gently hands Cookie to Ollie, explaining how to hold him and let him snuggle close for warmth.
“Tanner? You next?” Ollie asks after a few minutes.
“Oh, no, I’m good, thanks,” I say quickly, taking a step back.
Jamie snorts. “It’s okay, Sinc. He won’t bite. Lou’s trained him well.”
“I haven’t trained him to do anything except eat crickets and look cute.” Louis grins. “Dragons are just naturally awesome.”
“I still think I’ll pass,” I say.
Louis winks at me as he puts Cookie back in his tank. “You’ll be in love with this little guy before the end of the season. I guarantee it. Happens to everyone.”
“Somehow, I doubt that,” I say drily, but Louis just laughs warmly, the sound settling in chest.
“We’ll see, Rookie.” He still looks tired. The dark circles under his eyes seem to have taken up permanent residence there, and he’s moving stiffly. But even at half strength, Louis is always the center of gravity everyone else revolves around. He commands attention naturally and thrives on it. I’m having a hard time looking away from him.
“Well, guys, we should probably head,” Rylan says, checking his phone. “Early flight tomorrow.”
The mood in the room dips. A brief flash of disappointment flickers across Lou’s face before he covers it up with his usual easy smile.
“You’ll do great tomorrow,” he tells us. “Crowd gets loud in Dallas, but don’t let ’em get in your head.”
The guys start gathering their things. Kevin gives Louis a careful hug. “Go kick some Texas ass for me.”
I hang back near the door as everyone files out. I don’t want to leave. The thought of getting on that plane and flying away from him feels wrong.
“That dragon thing is still weird,” I say when it’s just the two of us.
“You’ll come around,” he smirks. “Everyone does.”
I nod, my hand tightening on the doorknob. “So I guess I’ll see you when we get back.”
“Yeah. See you.”
