"Top drawer, left side, under the vendor contracts."
"You and your filing system. Hold on—" I heard shuffling on his end.
Tobias looked up from his book. "Need me to grab anything from the fridge?"
I shook my head, but Cedric was already back.
"Found it! Thanks. Hey, are you coming to—" He paused. "Wait. Was that someone?"
"I have to go."
"Vance. Is there someone at your place?" I could hear the grin spreading across his face. "Oh my God. You have company. On a Tuesday afternoon."
"Goodbye, Cedric."
"This is huge. This is—"
I hung up.
Tobias raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"
"Just Cedric being Cedric."
A couple of days later, I was in the break room when Cedric found me.
"So," he said, dropping into the chair across from me with that look he got when he had gossip. "You have a roommate now?"
"What?"
"The phone call. I heard someone in the background." He leaned back, grinning. "Sounded like a guy. You get a roommate? A friend staying over? A secret brother you never told us about?"
"None of the above."
"Come on, Vance. You—lone wolf, man of mystery—have someone living with you. This is news." He studied me. "You're being cagey. That means it's interesting."
"It means it's none of your business."
"Everything is my business. I'm nosy. It's my best quality." He stood up, still grinning. "Fine, keep your secrets. But whoever he is, tell him I said hi."
He walked out, leaving me with cold coffee and a knot in my stomach.
Ronan had been in the corner the whole time, reading something on his tablet.
He hadn't said a word.
The next morning, Ronan knocked on my office door.
"Got a minute?"
"Sure."
He came in and closed the door behind him.
That was unusual. Ronan didn't close doors unless something serious was happening.
He sat down across from me. For a long moment, he didn't say anything. Just watched me with that calm, assessing gaze that always made me feel like he could see through walls.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
