I pressed my lips together, fighting the smile that was threatening to crack through. “That does sound traumatic.”
“It was. Itis. I’m scared for life. I may never recover.” She jabbed a finger at the camera. “Don’t laugh at me.”
“I’m not laughing.”
“You’re thinking about laughing. I can see it on your face. I know that face.”
“I would never.” I paused, letting a beat pass. “Is he hot?”
Syn’s expression went completely, terrifyingly blank. “Excuse me?”
“Ryat or whatever. Is he hot?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’m just asking.”
“He’s...” She stopped. Her jaw tightened. “That’s not the point. The point is that he’s the most annoying person I’ve ever met in my entire life, and I grew up with Trystan, so that’s really saying something.”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
“Because it’s a stupid question.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “His face is completely irrelevant to this discussion. His personality is a dumpster fire. End of conversation.”
I laughed, unable to help myself. “Wow. Okay. His face isirrelevant. I absolutely, one hundred percent believe you.”
I didn’t believe her. Not even a little.
Syn huffed, but some of the tension drained from her shoulders. She shifted against her pillows, getting comfortable, her expression softening into something more serious.
“Anyway,” she said, “Jax mentioned something happened at the house. Said you thought someone broke in?”
My stomach clenched.
“Oh.” I tried to keep my voice light, casual, unbothered. “That. Yeah. It was nothing.”
“Didn’t sound like nothing. He said you called Owen at midnight, crying.”
Heat crept up my neck. “I wasn’t crying.” I was crying, but I wasn’t going to ever admit that.
“Jax said…”
“Jax exaggerates.” I picked at a loose thread on my sock, avoiding the camera like she might see through my bullshit. “I heard something downstairs. Freaked out a little. But it turned out to be a cat.”
“A cat.”
“A cat. Apparently, I left the garage door and the back door open. The neighbor’s cat snuck in and knocked something over. I panicked and called Owen. He came over and solved the mystery.”
Syn was quiet for a moment, studying me with that look. The one that meant she was worried but trying not to show it.
“Har, that’s really dangerous. Leaving doors open like that. Anyone could have…”
“I know.” The guilt was immediate, thick in my throat. “I know. I just... I hadn’t been sleeping well, and I was exhausted. I could have sworn I closed the garage door, but I didn’t actually watch it go all the way down. Maybe the cat triggered the sensor or something?”
“That’s possible, I guess.”
“It freaked me out enough that Owen offered to let me crash in his spare room. Just until Dad and Liz get back from their trip.”
“Wait.” Syn’s face changed, something sharpening behind her eyes like a predator catching a scent. “You’re staying with Owen? Like, at his apartment?”
