Imre blinked, then frowned. “What are you doing here, Fia?”
The rain was a downpour behind them, and it was only when looking at the fat droplets hitting the ground that I realised they had a suitcase with them.
“Uh, come in,” I said, and got out of their way. Vincent made a run for the rain, and I called him back before shutting us all inside what had been my safe cocoon a minute ago.
My heart was racing. I looked down at myself. I was in black leggings and a tiny crop top. I’d had a quarter zip fleece ready to throw on and cover in soil when I got to my plants.
This was not workwear. And,fuck,Zolt had taken my bra off on the sofa last night.
“Fia?” Imre asked again.
I stepped back towards the sofa, trying not to trip up on Vincent, who was always more eager than the others.
“We—we were just running an interview through,” I blurted.
Not confessing our love for each other. Not fucking all night. Not confirming our relationship as anything other than step-siblings.
“Oh?” his mum asked. “When is that for? I didn’t know another was coming up.”
“It’s next week,” I lied, leaning against the back of the sofa, running my hand behind the back cushions as subtly as I could manage.
“Zolt,” I called up the stairs. “Your mum’s here!” I turned to her. “Um, he’s… he’s having his drip.”
Her eyes widened. “While you’re in a meeting?”
“It’s a big interview. It needs a lot of prep. I’m here—I’m here for a couple of days. Derek was here. His nurse was here. He…”
Fuck.She could not go up there. My pyjamas were on thebed. My toiletries were all over the ensuite. My dressing gown was against the door. Zolt had opened the windows to get rid of the stench of sex, but…
And he couldn’t really move to clean up the room, could he?
Oh fuck. We were about to be found out.
I couldn’t talk for the lump in my throat.
“Well, we need to ask him if we can stay for the night,”Imre sighed and put down the handle of his suitcase.“We’ve had a burst pipe.The ground floor is flooded. Probably all of this rain we’ve had.”
“Zoltán?” his mum called, starting to walk up the stairs.
One step. Two steps.
Fuck, Fia, say something. Anything.
“Actually, Helena, I was wondering if—do you have any tampons on you?”
My face heated, Imre coughed in uncomfortable shock, and she turned with a soft, surprised smile. “Well, I don’t know. I might have a panty liner in my bag?”
She walked back down the two steps, and I started to breathe again.
I couldn’t relax yet. I went to the next cushion in my search.
She went to her handbag she’d ditched by the door beside her umbrella, and started to rifle through it.
“Zoltán,” I cried up the stairs again, my voice breaking with sheer panic. “Your mum is here!”Please hear me, please hear me. Please.
Imre picked up his phone and started groaning about the pipe. It sounded bad. He was going to be under Zolt’s roof with us for a while. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. And Zolt was still nowhere to be seen.
Helena stopped rummaging and sighed, “I don’t thinkI have—”
