Baz turned a look on Lexie as if to say,See? “She’s fine, Lex. It’s not like we’ve posted no trespassing signs all over the place.”
“You must have noticed we were here,” Lexie said. “You didn’t even think to come over and say hi?”
“I didn’t know how you’d react.” Once again Arden was conscious of walking a fine line, trying not to lie without giving a completely inaccurate impression.
“And you’re not doing much to change her mind,” Baz said. He moved a little closer to Arden, and Lexie frowned. As much as Arden didn’t want to drive a wedge between these people, she felt an unfamiliar lift of her heart.
No one had ever stood up for her before.
“Yeah, well, excuse me for asking questions. I’m gonna go round up everybody for lunch.” Lexie turned to Arden and asked, “Do you have any food allergies, anything like that? Vegetarian?”
“No, I’ll eat just about anything.”
“You’ll fit right in with the rest of us, then,” Baz told her with a grin.
Lexie looked like she wanted to say something else, then turned on her heel and strode away.
“She’s usually a lot friendlier than that,” Baz said. “I think we’re all a little bit on edge.”
“Because of those people in the woods?”
“That’s part of it.”
“Are they going to come back?”
Baz’s face darkened. “I don’t know, but if they do, I’ll take care of it. They have no right to mess with you like that. This place doesn’t belong to them.”
“You don’t need to protect me,” Arden protested.
“I want to.”
She didn’t know how to react to that, so she started walking. Baz fell into step with her, adjusting his longer stride to hers.
“I’m just gonna drop off my stuff in the cabin. I can pack up to go, if you want.”
“There’s no need,” Baz said. “You can stay there as long as you like. I don’t think anyone else will have a problem with it.”
Lexie definitely had a problem with it, from what Arden could tell. But she decided not to argue. It wasn’t as if she had anywhere to go.
“That is, if you’re happy there,” Baz went on. “We have more than enough space, as you can see. The rest of us are only taking up a fraction of it. You could pick out anywhere you’d like to stay.”
Arden felt like arguing, but as they approached the little cabin, she could see why he thought she might want to move. When she first arrived, it had felt cozy and safe. Now, from the outside, she saw how small it was compared to the bigger, better houses. Baz was so tall that she wondered if he could even straighten up inside.
“It’s fine,” she said. Maybe Baz’s friends would be less likely to resent her if she was taking a house they didn’t want. “It’s big enough for me.”
She started to pull on the latch string, but the door swung open. Arden took a step back.
“It’s okay,” Baz said quickly. “It was me. I, uh, I unlocked it.”
Arden turned on him, alarmed. “Did you look at my things?” She didn’t mean it to come out as snappy and defensive as it did.
“No!” Baz exclaimed. “I’m sorry for coming in when you weren’t here. I’m in charge around here, or at least I’m trying to be. So it’s my business to know what goes on in the town. I did look around a little, but I didn’t look in your pack or anything. I swear.”
Arden was suddenly, profoundly grateful that she had hidden the phone and papers anyway.
“Sorry,” she said, rubbing her eyes. She dropped her day pack on the table. “It’s been a stressful day. I think I’ll feel better with some food in me.”
Baz grinned that quick, ready smile that had made her like him so much when she had been spying from the shadows. Even now, it loosened a tightness in her chest. “No problem. Do you want a little time alone to freshen up before lunch?”
