At least, we used to. Now we acted like inmates in two adjacent cells.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the closed door. When curiosity got the best of me, I didn’t even feel guilty. I sneaked closer and carefully pried the door open.
Saffron was sound asleep. The big yellow dragon plushie Taylor sewed for him sat on top of his pillows like a squishy guardian. Everything looked typical—except his phone was clutched in his hand.
That was weird. Neither of us were addicted to our phones, and I’d never seen him fall asleep with it in his hand.
Then my blood ran cold when I remembered that mystery online man. Had Saffron stayed up late talking to him?
Silently fuming, I stalked closer to his bed. Then I noticed something odd. My alarm clock went off without a hitch. Why was his still silent?
I squinted, looking at the clock closer. The battery covering was removed—with the batteries gone, too.
What the hell?
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Why did Saffron kill his alarm clock? Sure, it was fucking annoying, but it was necessary to be on time for the Games. Didn’t he want this?
Mixed emotions swirled inside me. It was true I didn’t want Saffron to find his mate on the show. Or at all. But those weremyfeelings. He thought differently. He was all about love and romance and shit. Why was he deliberately sabotaging himself? That was my job, dammit.
I glared at the phone gripped in his hand. I knew his passcode—we had the same one. It would be easy to unlock his phone and snoop around.
I leaned in carefully and woke up his phone. Low battery, but still alive.
Heart racing, I entered the code: 69420. Yeah, we both thought it was hilarious.
But it didn’t work.
My heart plummeted to the cold depths of my guts.
Saffron changed his passcode? What the fuck was going on?
My head swam. It felt like the ground was melting under my feet.
Then a loud knock came at the front door to our unit.
Swearing under my breath, I bolted out of Saffron’s room before he woke up and caught me in the act. I threw the door open to reveal Taylor, Crimson’s mate.
“What?” I asked.
Taylor raised an eyebrow. “Good morning.”
He said it in the same way a parent would correct a rude child. I flushed in embarrassment.
“Sorry. Had a nightmare. Morning,” I said.
Taylor frowned. “A nightmare? Do you want to talk about it?”
Ugh, I shouldn’t have said anything.
“Not really. Thanks, though. Anyway, what’s up?”
“Is Aurum with you? There’s something I want to ask,” Taylor said, peering into the room.
I was confused as fuck for a second. Taylor knew us. We hung out all the time. Then I remembered my hair, and the lack-of-dye situation. I had no reason to lie to Taylor, so I didn’t bother.
“I’m Aurum,” I told him. “Saffron’s asleep.”
Taylor’s eyes widened. He took a second, deliberate look at me. “Wow, you do look the same when your hair’s the same color.”
