“Funniest thing,” Layna said, making my belly twist and flip.
“Hm?”
“I saw Perish coming out of the basement last night. He’d been up in the glass room.”
“Yeah?” I asked, walking over to grab my dress and quickly changed back into it. “He must have come down before I went up.”
“Well, yeah, hemusthave…”
She didn’t know.
She couldn’tknow.
But she clearly had her suspicions.
I couldn’t let her keep poking around the edges of my lie. She would find out the truth eventually.
“Did Vi and Willa leave already?”
“You know them. Early risers these days. Besides, Dezi showed up with donuts a while ago. They grabbed them and coffee and headed home.”
“Were you waiting for me to go home?” I asked.
“I haven’t been to bed yet,” she told me, shrugging. “I’m going to crash for a few hours before heading back to your place to pack up.”
“You’re really leaving already?”
“I have some money burning a hole in my pocket. Going to take it to Vegas for a week or two. Then I have a tournament.”
“You really don’t ever get sick of all the craziness?” I asked, digging around in my purse until I found a hair tie and messily put my strands into a bun.
“Not yet. And it is my bread and butter.”
We both knew that Layna had earned plenty of money over the years to retire and live a cushy life.
“Besides, when I’m here for too long, everyone starts asking me things. Like when I’m going to settle down.”
“Oh, come on. The aunts are more progressive than that. They never asked me when I was going to get married. They were happy to just encourage my career.”
“Alright, fine. Maybe they ask when I’m going to stop couch-surfing like an unemployed college student.”
“Yeah, that sounds more like them. The aunts just want to make sure you’re settled. Asking you if you are getting a place of your own is the easiest way for them to express that.”
“It’ll happen. Eventually. I’m just not in a rush to do the whole… getting married, settling down sort of thing.”
At some point in the coming weeks, the two of us would play back this very conversation. With a mix of amusement (on my part) and shock and frustration (on hers).
But right then, I said I would see her at home before making my way upstairs.
I’m not proud to admit the way my gaze moved around immediately, looking for Perish. Or the way disappointment sloshed around in my belly when I didn’t see him anywhere.
“Heya, sweetheart,” a newly familiar voice called, making me turn to see Cain making his way out into the hallway, still dragging a shirt on. Which meant I got a full view of all his etched muscles. And, nope, it did nothing for me. So it wasn’tjust Perish’s frame that had pulled me in. It was… something else.
“Hey. Did Layna steal all your money last night?”
“And most of my clothes,” he said, his smirk indicating he wasn’t upset about it. “Want some coffee?”
“The club coffee makes me sad,” I admitted. “I like it sweet and flavored. But thanks. I think I’m just going to get some on the way home.” Then, because I couldn’t help myself, I asked, “Where is everyone?”
