She harrumphs and pops the lock she’s working on. “Fine. I’ll buy it. The friend, though, that one I can’t be pissed at you over.”
I grin, spinning in my chair, Fluffington’s tail whipping in my face at the affront. “I knew it. Youlikeher. Youloveher. You’re going to getmarried.”
The tiniest twitch of her lips has me on my feet. “No way. Really?”
“God, not like, now. But yeah. Emma’s, she’s something. Something really great.”
Now it’s my turn to grip her like I’m trying to squeeze the life out of her, and she laughs right up until Fluffington launcheshimself at her back, likely clawing it the whole way down before darting into the closet.
“Ow! Seriously, cat?”
I pull back. “Sorry. He’s a bit of an attack cat.”
She twists, trying to see the damage. “Am I bleeding?”
“Not yet.”
“So helpful.”
“My best trait.”
She shoves me, then plops herself back onto my bed. “And your girl? Clara?”
Last night comes to the front of my mind, and I’m pretty sure I’m grinning like an idiot.
“So, still going strong, then?”
“I can’t imagine life without her,” I say, the honesty tying my stomach in knots instead of soothing me like it usually would.
“Then let’s go find her. I hardly know the girl, and you look just as smitten now as you did at Christmas, so I suppose I should make an effort.”
We go downstairs, and soft voices lead us to the kitchen. Pushing open the door, I find RJ and Clara so clearly in a moment that I stall out in the doorway, barely giving them a second to step apart before Evie barrels in after me.
Clara turns, ducking into the fridge. “We have so many leftovers. Do you want something, Jansen? Evie?”
“What leftovers?” Evie asks, joining her at the fridge, and I hop up on the counter by RJ. “Everything okay?”
He shakes his head, looking between me and Evie. “No. The countdown’s started.”
My heart clenches. “How long?”
He closes his eyes, his jaw tight. “Probably fifteen minutes at this point.”
“Have you told Trips?”
“I’m on my way now. Oh, and I found my research into Evie’s stalker that I started last winter. I have a short list for you. Do you remember how to pull it up? For later, of course.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
We stare at each other, then take a moment to watch Clara acting so normally with my sister when she has to be panicking on the inside.
Fifteen minutes.
Maybe less.
“Where’s Walker?”
“I’m telling him after Trips.” Then he pushes through the door, the thunder of his feet on the stairs echoing the pounding of my pulse in my ears.
