I reached up and squeezed Percy’s bicep. Let my thumb press into the muscle, let my hand stay there a beat longer than necessary, my eyes finding Cateline’s over his shoulder.
“Let’s eat,” I said. “Before Solomon finishes everything.”
Percy offered his hand. Fingers laced through mine, and he pulled me toward the common area.
I looked back.
Cateline stood in the kitchen doorway. The humiliation on her face was almost enough to make me feel bad. Almost.
“Cat’s nice. You can be friends,” Percy said as he handed me a plate.
I stared at him. “You’re joking.”
“What?” He looked genuinely confused. “She brought cookies. That’s nice.”
“Percy.” I set down the plate before I broke it. “She was hitting on you.”
He frowned. “No she wasn’t. She was just being friendly.”
“She touched your arm, made you cookies. She speaks to youin a voice that belongs in a phone sex commercial.”
Percy’s frown deepened. Then his face cleared and he laughed. “Cat? No way. We’re just people who know each other.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it.
He genuinely had no idea. This beautiful, oblivious idiot had absolutely no clue that Cateline had been throwing herself at him for God knows how long.
Part of me found it endearing.
A larger part wanted to shake him.
“She called you Percy,” I said flatly. “Only Lucian and Solomon call you that.”
“Uh, I guess,” He shrugged. “Now that you mentioned it.”
“And you call her Cat.”
“That’s her name.”
“It’s a nickname.” I could feel my eye starting to twitch. “You have nicknames for each other. That’s... wonderful. You seem to enjoy giving those out.”
Percy’s brow furrowed. He squinted at me as if I’d started speaking another language.
“Wait.” He held up a hand. “Are you mad at me right now? I genuinely can’t tell.”
“I’m not mad.”
“You sound mad.”
“I’m not.”
He studied me for a moment, head tilted, full confused puppy. Then his expression cleared and he grinned.
“Do you want me to give you a nickname?”
I blinked. “What? No. That’s not the point.”
“Because I can. If that’s what this is about.” He leaned closer, that teasing warmth back in his eyes. “Though I’m not sure why I’d bother when I already have one for you.”
