Page 46 of Bear and Book

Elias rose politely, but I caught the way his jaw tightened. His fox stirred under his skin. I could feel it, faint but sharp, that bristling wariness.

“Elias,” Elias said, voice even, offering his hand. “Nice to meet you, Addie.”

She blinked, like she hadn’t expected him to sound so composed, and shook his hand. Then she glanced at me, eyebrows raised as if to say Really, Leo?

I forced a smile. “Why don’t you sit down? I made lunch.”

The air was thick as I set the food out. Roast chicken, salad, bread. Nothing fancy, but I’d tried to make it feel like a meal worth sharing.

Addie sat across from Elias, eyeing him like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

Elias, for his part, was doing his best impression of calm, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he handled his fork like he was afraid it might slip.

I wanted to snap at Addie, tell her to stop staring, but I also knew this was how she worked. She was my sister, and she’d always been protective. The more she cared, the more suspicious she got.

“So,” Addie said, finally breaking the silence. “You run a bookstore, right?”

Elias nodded. “That’s right. Secondhand, mostly.”

“I see,” Addie said. “And how old are you, exactly?”

Blunt as always, I thought in irritation.

“Addie,” I hissed, glaring at her.

“What? I’m just asking,” she said, lifting a hand defensively.

Elias met her eyes evenly. “Older than your brother. Does that bother you?”

The directness caught her off guard. She paused, then gave a small shrug. “I don’t know yet.”

I groaned. “You can’t just⁠—”

“It’s alright,” Elias interrupted softly, his gaze flicking toward me for a moment before returning to her. “I don’t mind questions.”

The awkward silence that followed stretched until I thought I’d lose my mind. Then Addie sighed, spearing a piece of chicken with her fork.

“Alright. Tell me something about you that doesn’t involve books,” she said. “Something fun.”

Elias tilted his head, thinking. “Fun?”

“Yes, fun,” she said, chewing. “Leo tends to fall for people who brood a lot, so I’m checking for red flags.”

“Addie,” I groaned again, burying my face in my hand.

But Elias laughed. Quiet, genuine, like the tension cracked just a little.

“Fun,” Elias repeated. “Well I like rainy days. I sit by the window with a cup of tea and a blanket and just watch.”

Addie blinked. “Watch?”

“Yes.” Elias smiled faintly, the corner of his mouth curving in that way that made my chest ache. “The chaos outside makes the quiet inside sweeter.”

Something in Addie’s expression shifted. She didn’t soften right away, but she tilted her head, considering him in a way that felt less like an interrogation and more like curiosity.

“Okay,” she said. “That’s kind of nice.”

I exhaled, relieved, and dug into my plate. Conversation started to loosen after that. Addie asked about the bookstore. She asked Elias how he decided what to stock.