“Krystin’s. Who apparently works at this hardware store and takes photos of people without permission.”
He frowned. “Your friends are upset?”
“No, they’re nosy. There’s a difference.” I paid for the supplies, grabbed the bags, and headed for the exit. “Come on. Let’s go home before anyone else sees us.”
“You say home.” He was right behind me, close enough that I could feel him. “Does that mean you are accepting me?”
“It means I have a headache and need coffee. Don’t read into it.”
But my traitorous heart was beating too fast. And the word “home” had come out too easily. And I was very aware of his hand hovering near my back, not quite touching but close enough to feel.
Sunday’s book club was going to be a nightmare. My friends were going to have questions. So many questions. I had no idea how to answer them.
7
— • —
Wen
“Spill.”
Krystin stood in the doorway of the bookstore, arms crossed, one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised in accusation.
“Damn, not even a hello?”
“NO. I wanna know why a certain huge summoned wolf not from this earth - basically an alien, by the way - is shopping with you while wearing khakis and a sweater I’m pretty sure belonged to your grandpa.”
Behind her, Bella gasped. “You gave him your grandpa’s clothes?”
My stomach dropped. They knew how much I cherished everything from my grandparents. Every sweater, every book,every coffee mug. I’d kept it all. Couldn’t bear to get rid of any of it.
“It’s not - look, he needed clothes, okay? What was I supposed to do, let him walk around in a blanket?”
“You could’ve bought him new clothes,” Daphne pointed out, appearing behind Krystin. “Instead you gave him Louis’s sweater. The navy one he wore every Sunday.”
I felt my face heat. “Can we not do this in the doorway?”
I glanced back at the apartment door. Closed. But could he hear us? He had super hearing or whatever. He could probably hear every word we were saying.
“Wait.” Daphne’s eyes widened. “IS HE IN YOUR APARTMENT?!”
Her voice hit a pitch that could shatter glass. I’d never heard her sound so shrill.
“Jesus, Daph! Yes, he’s upstairs. Now can you please lower your voice before the entire town hears you?”
“Oh my god,” Bella whispered. “He’s living with you.”
“He’s working for me. There’s a difference.”
“Uh-huh.” Krystin was smirking now. “And does he work shirtless? Because I’d pay to see that.”
“I will murder you.”
“You’d miss me too much.”
I grabbed Krystin’s arm and tugged all three of them toward the reading nook. “Okay, okay, let’s all calm the hell down and-”
They stopped moving. All three of them. Just froze and stared.
