Page 25 of Meet Cute the Virgin

Minnie watches from the fireplace mantel, her tufted ears twitching. Teddy’s lynx is a rescue and technically illegal, but the same could be said about Killian. She yawns, showing teeth, and settles back into her sunbeam.

I ignite my light saber, the purple beam lighting up. The sound fills the space, bouncing off walls covered floor to ceiling with books. The library is ridiculous, something out of a gothic novel—three stories of walnut shelves, rolling ladders, and a spiral staircase up to the second level, where the rare editions live. The fireplace alone could fit a small car. Right now, it’s cold, full of last night’s ash, because neither of us knows how to work it without setting off smoke alarms, and then we’ll both be in trouble. I don’t know who’s worse when we’re in trouble, Roland or Killian.

My mind directs to Tristan. What would he think of me going head-to-head in a lightsaber fight? Would he think I’m silly? Showing my age, I suppose, not classy like Sasha.

“En garde,” Teddy says, lunging. I let out a small scream and barely get away. What the hell?

We circle the central table, her pressing, me retreating, until my back hits the velvet couch and I trip over the arm, tumbling backward into the cushions. The lightsaber deactivates automatically. Teddy stands over me, grinning, her blade humming inches from my nose.

“See?” she says. “You have to smile when you’re wielding one of these.”

“I’m not smiling.”

“You’re also not thinking about who we shall not name.” She deactivates hers and collapses beside me, the couch groaning under the shift. “Better?”

“You’re wrong,” I tell her.

“Yeah, it happens a lot.”

I laugh. “I meant that I wasn’t thinking about him. I wondered what he would think about our library duel. Would he think it was stupid? And then I thought about how Sasha would not wield a lightsaber.”

“Because she sucks.”

“This is true.” I stare at the ceiling, which has three beautiful chandeliers. “I found my MIT shirt folded in the closet.”

“Roland, he’s always folding crap. You should see the creases he can make with an iron.”

“No.” I swallow. “Like it was in my bag, and this morning it was out and folded.”

Teddy goes still. “Lily?—”

“And my bathroom was organized. And my ribbon is missing.” I sit up, facing her. “I know how this sounds.”

“It sounds like—” She stops and reconsiders. “Like the housekeeper got to your room.”

“Shut up.” I hit her with the back of my hand. “The ribbon?”

“Probably put away where it belongs.”

Shit, I’m reaching here, aren’t I? Maybe it’s more wishful thinking on my part.

“No one is getting in or out of here without Killian knowing.”

I nod, but I’m not so sure I agree. Anyway, I need to get these insane thoughts out of my head. Tristan isn’t sneaking around my bedroom. Why would he do that?

The last of the sage Teddy had earlier burns out in the fireplace where she’d tossed it.

“Let’s light it,” Teddy says suddenly. “The fire. It’s cold, and I’m cold, and you need to stop thinking about phantom laundry folders.”

“If you want. It’s your fireplace.” Teddy glances down, then her head snaps up.

“Yeah, you’re right, it’s my fireplace. I can light it, and no one can tell me that I should come and get them to do it.” Oh crap. I know that look. It’s the one she gets when she’s determined to make a point. There’s no turning back now.

“Is thisno oneKillian?”

She ignores my question. “I’m freezing. There’s no way I can last another second in these conditions.” She is full of shit. I watch her bounce over, grabbing the iron poker. “Can’t be that hard, right?”

Minnie lifts her head, watching us closely, which should have been our cue. Teddy opens the grate and starts poking at the ash. I join her because apparently, I’m incapable of making good decisions, and together we stare at the cold logs like they might spontaneously combust. No such luck.