Then his eyes landed on me, and he smiled. It shouldn’t have felt threatening, but there was something in the way he held himself, calm and confident, that made me nervous.
“Oh? I didn’t know Felix had anyone else living with him,” he said, his voice light.
I stiffened, caught off guard. I wasn’t sure how much information Felix would want me to give away. “He does,” I said, careful not to volunteer anything else.
The man’s smile widened just a fraction. “He would pick a cute girl like you,” he said, his tone light, teasing, as if testing the waters. My stomach tightened. Irritatingly enough, I found I didn’t like it when anyone other than Felix flirted with me.
I forced a tight-lipped smile, trying to mask my irritation. “And who are you?”
“Cosimo,” he extended his hand towards me. “Felix’s cousin.”
My guard lowered slightly. He probably wouldn’t be dangerous to me if he was related to Felix. But if he was related to Felix, he was definitely a dangerous man.
I made myself meet his gaze, careful not to let my curiosity—or anything else—show. “Nice to meet you.”
“And your name?” he asked, his tone playful, but with an edge that made me pause.
I hesitated, weighing how much to reveal. “It’s… just Tessa,” I said finally, keeping my voice steady.
“Okay, ‘just Tessa,’” he smirked, and I could see the relation to Felix, “Nice to meet you.”
I forced a small smile, keeping my tone neutral. “Likewise.”
He glanced around the room, eyes flicking over the cleaned surfaces. “I have to admit,” he said, leaning casually against the doorway, “it’s a lot better than I expected. Still a piece of shit,” he added with a grin, “but you’ve done great work. At least, I’m assuming it’s you who has done the work.”
“At least someone recognizes it,” I muttered.
Cosimo laughed. “Felix was never one for praise.”
I straightened, forcing my tone neutral. “I don’t need any,” I said. “Why are you here?”
“Well, I have a key.” He dangled it from his hand, like it was a keycard rather than a house key. “And I thought for sure Felix would miss the move in date.”
I blinked at Cosimo, caught off guard by the casual familiarity. “Right. Well, it’s nice to have someone checking in on him,” I said, forcing a smile.
He leaned a little closer, voice softening. “Can I see inside? I haven’t been here since before our grandma passed.”
Huh. Felix had never told me why he had to suddenly move into this decrepit brownstone. I had a feeling if I talked to his cousin I could learn a bit more.
“Yeah,” I said slowly, stepping aside.
“Show me what you’ve done with the place,” he said, a playful lilt in his voice.
I started with the kitchen, the room I was most proud of. The counters were wiped spotless, the sink free of grime, even the cabinets had been scrubbed until they gleamed. For once, thesmell of the place didn’t make me wince; the faint scent of lemon cleaner lingered in the air, and I couldn’t help feeling a little triumphant.
Cosimo followed quietly, his eyes scanning every surface with a hint of amusement. “I have to say,” he said, leaning casually against the counter, “this is impressive. For a place like this, it looks almost respectable.”
I forced a modest shrug. “It’s just cleaning. Anyone could do it if they had the time.”
He smirked, not pushing, just letting the compliment linger in the air.
“So, Felix inherited the brownstone from your grandparents?” I asked, trying to sound offhand.
“Our grandma,” he corrected.
“I guess Felix was her least favorite,” I half joked, half meant.
Cosimo threw back his head and laughed, a rich, easy sound that filled the room. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and for a moment he looked entirely unbothered, like he was enjoying the little jab more than he should. “No, Felix was definitely her favorite.”
