“This is me wanting to take a shower and climb into pajamas and bed. It’s been a long day. But I need to trust that you’ll stay here while I do, because while I know you love your sister and won’t intentionally do anything else to stress her out, she believes thingshappenwhen you’re around no matter your intentions, so she asked me to be a buffer, and that’s what I intend to do. Forallof your sakes.”
Mama cat meows loudly in my second bedroom.
Delaney doesn’t flinch.
It’s like she’s trying to telegraphyou can trust me—I’m not asking why you have cats in your second bedroom anymore.
That means one thing.
The minute I turn my back, she’ll be getting into this room and letting the cats out.
End of the world?
Fucking might be. Those kittens aren’t old enough to be wandering around the island unsupervised. And I’m not one to worry about anyone beingunsupervised.
And don’t tell me feral cats have been surviving on this island for decades.
I don’t. Want. To fucking. Hear it.
For one, I’m certain their mama is domesticated. And for two, these aremykittens now—along with their mama—and I will protect them to the end.
And also not let Emma know that I’m keeping them here for fear she’ll freak out about me getting tossed from the resort.
Laney’s right.
Thingshappenwhen I’m involved. I’m not having anythinghappento my kittens.
I point to the bathroom just outside of the room I’m sleeping in. “Shower’s there.”
Delaney doesn’t turn to look.
Instead, she keeps staring up at me. “How do I know you won’t leave while I’m showering?”
“You don’t.”
I stare at her.
She stares back.
And then she does the last thing I expect her to do.Again.
She turns and heads toward the bathroom, pulling her luggage behind her, like she trusts me.
The Delaney Kingston I remember from school would’ve stood there and stared at me all night to make sure Ibehaved myself.
But this Delaney?
She’s on babysitting duty, and she’s leaving me unsupervised.
Like she trusts me.
Itrust me. But I don’t trust thatshetrusts me.
“I’m going to hang with the triplets,” I call to her through the closed door.
“Awesome. Emma will love that,” she calls back.
Fuck.
