He rolled his eyes. “Stop exaggerating.”
“I’m serious, dude. If you opened a restaurant, I’d be there every damn day.” I wolfed down another bite. “You wouldn’t be able to get rid of me.”
Sagitta examined me with a curious expression. Had nobody ever complimented his cooking? Or maybe he’d never cooked for somebody who wasn’t a family member.
A blush rose to my cheeks. Was this kinda intimate, or was I overthinking it?
“Chase, your face is turning red,” Sagitta pointed out.
“No shit. I’m white and this is spicy,” I mumbled.
To my surprise, Sagitta laughed out loud. I could tell it was the kind of laugh that tore free of his chest, genuine and unforced. My heart tripped over itself. His laugh was beautiful, too.
Dammit.
“Sorry,” he said through a grin, wiping his eye with a tissue.
I grinned back. “Nah, it’s all good.”
I was just glad to see him comfortable in my home.
As we dug into our food, the sports commentator became a droning buzz in my ear. I grabbed the remote and flicked to a YouTube channel about an amateur river diver who took fantastic underwater footage. The background noise turned from chaotic shouting to a calm soundscape track.
“That’s better,” I said, leaning back into the couch.
Sagitta sat up straighter. Judging from his body language, he was much more interested in underwater exploration than sports. His gaze was glued to the fish, and they sparkled with interest that wasn’t there before.
God, his eyes really were stunning. Everything about him was. I still couldn’t believe he was in my apartment.
Unfortunately, I’d watched him for a few seconds too long. He caught me staring at him.
“What is it?” he asked.
My mind went blank. I couldn’t reply with the honest truth that I was gawking over him because that was weird and I was supposed to act normal.
“Ask if he wants to see your fish,” Faust suggested.
“Do you want to see my fish?” I asked quickly.
Sagitta’s eyes continued to sparkle. “Absolutely.”
Oh no. That was the worst possible answer while I was tryingnotto fall for him.
After cleaning our plates of every last grain of jasmine rice, I led Sagitta to my room. I became hyper-aware of how strange it was to be alone with a hot guy in my bedroom without anything sexual going on.
“Not yet,” Faust teased.
A shiver rolled up my spine. I stomped out the mental image before it took hold. This was so not the time.
My bedroom was dark except for the amber-green glow of Demetrius’s tank. A forest of underwater plants hid Demetrius until he slid out from behind a fern frond. His scales were as vivid red as the Massaman curry.
I heard Sagitta inhale a soft breath.
He crossed the room and kneeled comfortably by the glass. Demetrius rushed towards him.
“Hello, sweetie,” Sagitta said, as if greeting an old friend.
My heart swelled with an inexplicable joy unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
