“Wait, what? Crimson’s room? And where the hell areyougoing?”
He raised a brow. “Didn’t I tell you to trust me?”
“Well, yeah, but... Crimson? Really? I’m gonna catch his cooties. Shit, I might cream my pants over fabrics.”
Saffron chuckled and gave me a playful nudge. “Well, don’t get too close until I get back, then. I won’t be long. Promise.”
He held out his hand for a pinky swear. I didn’t hesitate to return it.
After we broke apart and went our separate ways, I noticed my chest didn’t feel tight or knotted. It felt clear, like the sun had broken through the overcast sky of my heart. Was I finally patching things up with Saffron?
There was something else, too. For a while, he hadn’t touched the phone in his pocket—AKA, his lifeline to Billy the creep.
Following Saffron’s instructions,I sat outside Crimson’s room, but kept my distance. I didn’t want to catch his clothing fetish like a cold.
“I’m back!” Saffron announced.
Even before I raised my head to greet him, I noticed his unusually chipper tone. Then I looked over and my jaw dropped.
Mylo was with him.
I leapt to my feet, running over.
“Mylo!” I cried. “What are you doing here?”
He looked both delighted and deeply confused. “Um, I don’t actually know,” he said with a bewildered laugh. “I was sitting in my hotel room when a dragon abducted me, and now I’m here.”
I was about to rage against the imaginary kidnapper-dragon when I realized it was Saffron. He’d brought Mylo here on my behalf.
“Is this allowed?” Mylo asked hesitantly.
“Yes,” Saffron and I said at the same time, which made it sound even more like a lie. And it kinda was.
“So, why’d you tell me to wait out here?” I asked Saffron, gesturing to Crimson’s door behind me.
Before my brother responded, I realized Mylo was wearing more awful, ill-fitting clothes. I should’ve burned his entire wardrobe, dammit. Then he wouldn’t have to wear those fugly outfits,andI’d get to see him naked. It was a win-win.
Then I had a twin brain connection moment. That’s exactly why we stood outside Crimson’s room.
“Ah,” I said, nodding. “I got it.”
Mylo blinked. “Got what?”
The door slammed open. My pompous older brother peered outside, glaring at us.
“I heard a pair of brats sneaking around,” Crimson muttered. Then he noticed Mylo and his expression flipped like a light switch. “Ah, hello! And who might you be?”
“Mylo. Uh, sir.”
“It’s Crimson. No need for formalities.” His gaze flickered over Mylo’s outfit. IfIthought it was bad, Crimson must’ve been having an internal meltdown. “I see... Let me guess. You want my expertise in the clothing department.”
Mylo blushed, tugging on the end of his overly long shirt. “Are they really that bad?”
“Atrocious,” Crimson agreed with a solemn nod.
Mylo’s face fell. “Oh...”
My heart clenched. I hated seeing him upset. I put my arm around him reassuringly. “Hey, he’s not sayingyou’reatrocious. Just the rags covering your hot body.”
