“Aye. Together.”
Caitlyn held her breath.
“Isn’t the point totasteit?” Zoe asked with a giggle. “Breathe, girl,breathe.”
Scowling at her friend, Caitlyn slid the spoonful into her mouth. She braced herself for the heat and, at first, was pleasantly surprised. Surprised enough that she swallowed it. She took another bite. Maybe the ice cream helped to neutralize the worst of the heat from the peppers. It still came, but slowly and not as intensely as she’d expected.
“And?” Heath asked.
“Not as bad as I thought.” The inside of her mouth had started to tingle a little. Was it supposed to do that?
“Well, that’s no ringing endorsement,” he said, disappointed.
“I’m sorry.” Caitlyn shrugged.
“If you had to choose one over the other, which would it be?” Max asked.
“I have a sensitive stomach, so I’m probably not the best person to ask about exotic foods,” Caitlyn said. “I will say I’m glad I tried them both. My father will be proud of me for being more adventurous.”
“Puts me in mind of a question everyone should answer,” Noah said with a grin. “For Caitie, here, eating jalapeños and chocolate ice cream together is an adventure. What’s an adventure for you, Zoe?”
“Who, me?” she asked, her eyes going round. “I’m the least adventurous person in the world.”
“Then name something thatwouldbe adventurous for you,” Max suggested, his tone kind.
That turned into a discussion of what made up an adventure, which led to reminiscing. Despite a growing headache, and the tingling in her tongue that had spread to her lips, Caitlyn was enjoying herself. And considering how much everyone was laughing, they were too.
She pulled out her phone and typed in some ideas for using the experience again. Would they be able to duplicate it by buying ice cream makers to use in the penthouse? Or were the lighthearted interactions enhanced by being out of the penthouse? They would have to evaluate it later.
Whatever it was, they had turned the day’s activity from a failure to a success.
9
“Can I have a word with you?” Joe asked Noah that evening as he was finishing up in the kitchen before joining the others for the nightly games.
“Sure.”
“I’ve been watching how you and Caitlyn interact. What’s your history with her?”
“We had a class together my first semester.”
“It looked like the young man who gave you a ride to the airport has a history with her too.”
“Aye. That was Keven. He dated her the semester before I came here.”
“Was your response to her at the meeting in Sona’s office because of something your friend told you?” Joe asked softly, his tone making Noah look up at him.
“Aye. What’s your point?”
Joe met his gaze then. “She doesn’t look well to me.”
“Sure. And I’ve been hearing she took last semester off because she was in rehab.”
“And where did you hear that?” Joeasked, his voice now disdainful. “The disgruntled ex?”
Noah frowned. Hehadheard it from Keven.
“What if I did?”
