She looked up, cheeks still flushed from the ride, or maybe from what we’d done in the woods. For a second, I thought she was going to say something, but she exhaled slowly.
I didn’t want to let go. Instead, I pulled her closer, holding her against me. "Hey, you okay?"
She nodded, but her eyes darted away, and I felt her start to slip behind her old shields.
"Listen," I said. "I’d like to see you again. Soon."
She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "You’ll see me at work, Zaden. I’m not going anywhere."
That stung, more than I’d admit. I wasn’t sure if she was teasing or if she really meant it, keeping it casual.
I tried again. "Doesn’t have to be a date. You could just come over and hang out."
She shrugged. "Maybe." Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed me, soft, closed-lipped, no heat in it at all. "Good night, Zaden."
Chapter 6
Krystal
"You’re late,"Bryce announced as I emerged from my bedroom into the living room.
I checked the clock and groaned. I'd hit the snooze button a few too many times. "We have a whole hour. Relax, B."
He flashed me a grin with a chunk of cereal stuck to one tooth. "Uncle Nathan says if you’re not fifteen minutes early, you’re late."
I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue. Nathan’s rules were gospel for the pack kids, and Bryce was a true believer.
Our kitchen was small, but it was perfect for the two of us. The cabinets were painted in a faded blue, and the countertops were worn smooth by years of use. The fridge was plastered with spelling tests, finger paintings, and a magnet shaped like a wolf that Rissa had given Bryce for his birthday. There was a calendar on the wall, every square filled with school stuff, birthday parties, pack events, and my work schedule. Beside the calendar, a stack of bills leaned precariously against the coffee maker, threatening to collapse if I so much as looked at themwrong, never mind paying them. I'd get to it before they were late. Probably.
I set water to boil and rummaged for Bryce’s lunchbox. "You want PB&J or leftover pizza?"
"Pizza," he said without missing a beat.
I wrapped a couple of slices in foil, then tossed in an apple and a granola bar for good measure. I’d gotten efficient at this over the years, running on autopilot most mornings, but today my hands fumbled more than usual. I kept thinking about the non-date with Zaden a few nights ago. The feel of his hands, the way his eyes never looked away, the heat of his mouth on mine. Not to mention the way I’d let myself go and how it had left me off-balance and raw.
Bryce slammed the pantry door, bringing me back. "Can I have hot cocoa?"
"You’re already vibrating," I said. "But fine. One mug. Then go brush your teeth."
He whooped and set to work with the cocoa mix, making a mess of the counter. I watched him for a moment, then checked my phone and found a text from Zaden. My heart jumped at the sight of his name like it had each time he'd texted or called.
Morning Beautiful. I woke up thinking about you.
Then he sent a selfie of him lying in bed shirtless with a black sheet covering his lower half. Good God, the man was too sexy for his own good.
I stared at the photo for a few moments, then locked my phone. I didn’t have the energy to dissect what it meant, if it meant anything at all. He was probably being nice, or maybe he was like every other man I’d known. Charming until he got bored. It'd be a dick pic next.
I got Bryce into his shoes and jacket, checked his backpack for the fiftieth time, and herded him out the door. My car was a battered Jeep that smelled faintly of wet dog and crayons. Bryce buckled in while I scraped the unseasonably early frost off of the windshield with a library card. Hadn't expected that when I came out this morning. I'd have to start checking the weather more diligently.
We drove in silence for a minute. Then Bryce said, "Are you mad at me?"
I blinked. "Why would I be mad?"
"You’re quiet," he said. "You only get quiet when you’re mad."
I forced a smile. "Nope, I'm not mad. Just tired."
"Did you have a date this weekend?" he asked casually.
