Lithie let out a long exhale and rubbed her temple with the pasta-free hand. “Jesus, Shay.”
“This is, without a doubt, theworstcase of your date blindness,” Olly said.
The tension in the room splintered. Calder took off his mask and all three of them stared. He grinned, rubbing his jaw, sheepish.
My sister set the pasta on the counter, giving Calder a glare before turning off the stove. If I thought that was the end of it, of course I was wrong.
“Who are you?” my sister asked, coming back and folding her arms. “What’s your mother’s maiden name?”
“Uh,” Calder started, only to be cut off by Eames.
“Where do you work?” he asked.
“How many convictions are on your record?” Olly countered.
Marinara dripped off Calder to a splattering puddle on the floor. The guy who had been nothing but in control from the moment we met was now shy and uncomfortable.
“Let him get cleaned up first,” I said.
“I’m not letting a predator use my shower,” Lithie said.
“He’s not—” I broke off on a sigh. “You owe me. I covered when we lived with Mom and you snuck a boy into the house who stole her favorite crystal.”
Lithie’s eyes darted from me to Calder then back to me.
She rolled her eyes, giving in. “Fine. You can go shower. But if you even look at my hair mask, you’re cooking my pasta.”
I gripped his wrist as he left, trying to say sorry with my eyes. In return, he gave me a soft smile, brushing the back of my wrist with his thumb.
“Cooking your pasta?” I asked Lithie as the door to the bathroom shut with a soft snick. “What kind of threat is that?”
“I’m worried about you, Shay,” my sister said. “First a graveyard and then this?”
“Thereareother ways to meet men,” Eames said.
“Calder is the same guy from the graveyard,” I said.
They all opened their mouths.
Then closed them.
“That’sGrave Boy?” Lithie asked.
Eames whistled. “I get it now.”
“I really like him,” I said.
Their eyes narrowed.
“You weren’t supposed to be here,” I continued. “I wouldn’t have done this if I’d known you were here.”
“Oh great,” Lithie said, “so you invite the sexual burglar over when no one else can save you.”
“That’s…”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Eames asked.
“Why haven’t you told us about him?” Lithie continued.
