"Just wanted to make sure she was okay after last night," Kevin says smoothly, and there's something in his tone—protective and possessive—that makes my stomach flip. "You know how it is."
Lottie nods. "Of course, of course. Well, I won't keep you." She pats Kevin's arm. "You take good care of our girl, you hear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
When the door closes behind her, I drop my face into my hands. "I'm going to die. Actually die of embarrassment."
Kevin sets the casserole on the counter, and when I look up, he's grinning. "She's sweet."
"She's a menace."
"She cares about you." He crosses back to me, and his expression turns serious. "And she's right. About me taking care of you."
My breath catches. "Kevin—"
"I'm not leaving," he says firmly. "Not until Elliott is dealt with. Not while he's out on bail and knows where you work."
"You can't stay here." I gesture around the tiny apartment. "It's a one-bedroom. The walls are thin. There's one bathroom—"
"I'll take the couch."
"For how long?"
"However long it takes." His jaw is set, that stubborn look I'm recognizing. "I'm not negotiating this, Steph."
Part of me wants to argue. To tell him I can take care of myself, that I don't need a bodyguard.
But the truth is, I don't want him to leave. And that terrifies me more than anything Elliott could do.
"Okay," I whisper. "You can stay."
Relief flashes across his face. "Okay."
"But you're eating Lottie's casserole. I'm not touching whatever's under that foil. She probably put a love potion in it or something."
He laughs, and the sound wraps around me like a blanket. "Deal."
***
That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, hyperaware of Kevin on the other side of the wall.
I can hear him moving around—the quiet rustle of the blanket, the creak of the couch as he settles in. The apartment feels smaller with him here; his presence takes up more space than just the physical.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand. A text from Ainsley.
Ainsley:Lottie says Kevin spent the night. SPILL.
I groan and type back.
Me:He slept on the couch. Nothing happened.
Ainsley:Yet.
Me:There is no yet. This is fake, remember?
Ainsley:Sure it is. That's why he moved in to protect you.
I stare at the message, heart thudding.
