“I don’t like him,” I argue weakly.
Lucy points at me accusingly. “That was the least convincing thing you’ve ever said.”
I groan, covering my face briefly with one hand. “Can we please not do this? I’m having his baby. It would be helpful if we just all got along.”
Catherine sets her wine glass down with a small smile. “Actually, I think this is progress.”
Lucy looks horrified. “You’ve been infected too?”
Catherine ignores her completely. “Maybe the four of us should have dinner together.”
I blink. “What?”
“It might help,” she says simply. “You clearly care about each other, even if you’re both terrible at showing it.”
Lucy mutters something under her breath about emotional incompetence.
“And,” Catherine continues smoothly, “it’ll give Lucy the chance to get to know Ray properly instead of treating him like a criminal mastermind.”
“I still think he resembles one,” Lucy replies.
I laugh despite myself.
Catherine smiles knowingly at me. “What do you think?”
Before I can answer, Lucy points a warning finger my way. “If this man hurts you, I reserve the right to ruin his life.”
“Noted,” I mutter.
But secretly? The idea of sitting beside Ray at dinner suddenly doesn’t sound nearly as terrifying as it should.
Surprisingly, Ray agreed to dinner.
Not only agreed—he asked where I wanted to go.
It feels like progress.
But now, sitting beside him in the little Italian restaurant I spotted during one of my sleepless walks through the city, nerves twist low in my stomach.
The place is warm and softly lit, tucked away down a quiet side street, all candlelight and dark wood tables. It’s intimate enough that every glance feels loaded.
Lucy stares at her menu, though I doubt she’s absorbed a single word. Her eyes keep flicking towards me like she’s trying to work out what’s changed.
Honestly? So am I.
Catherine browses the wine list far more successfully, sipping from the glass Ray chose for the table. My eyes linger on it longingly.
I’d kill for a large glass of wine right now. Just enough to dull the strange tension humming beneath my skin.
Beside me, Ray inhales slowly before setting his menu down.
“I didn’t realise this place was here,” he says, glancing around before his eyes settle on me. “Good choice.”
Warmth creeps unexpectedly into my cheeks. “I passed it one night when I couldn’t sleep.”
His brow furrows immediately. “You were walking around alone at night?”
I laugh softly. “Yeah. I do that a lot when my brain won’t switch off.”
