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Now armed with a fork, Khaos freezes. “I had to take care of some business.”

“Caretaker business?”

“What?” The blank stare Khaos throws at me makes my stomach twist. Is that not what it’s called when someone takes care of a graveyard?

Uh.

“How long were you gone for?”

“A couple days.”

After peeling three bananas, he begins mashing them with the fork in the bowl, the veins in his arms more prominent than ever.

“Do you hate all of Sea Haven? Or just being here, in this house?”

“Sea Haven’s beautiful. Boring but beautiful.”

“Yeah.” So, it is just this house. Not that I blame him. I grew up in this house and I don’t even like it. “Is it…”

“Is it what?”

“Is it…um… Do you hate living here because of…”

“Spit it out, Silver.”

I shrug. “Me.”

His eyes trail down the parts of my body not hidden by the counter before he shakes his head, focusing on the bowl of banana guts.

“Sometimes.”

His honesty stings. I shouldn’t have asked.

But because I can’t help myself, I’m going to continue pulling at the thread.

“Which times?”

“The times you have that douchebag glued to your side.”

“Ah, so really, you hate Guy.”

“And who you are when you’re with him.”

“I wasn’t grinding on him in the theater,” I confess, feeling the weight of his accusation finally lift.

Khaos eyes me again.

“He gave you clear instructions to.”

“He always does.” I roll my eyes before glancing down at the cat’s tag and reading it. Onyx. Is that the name?

Onyx. The stone of protection and strength.

“You don’t like that?”

“I…” I feel weird talking badly about Guy. He means…everything to me. But I don’t love that he always feels the need to orchestrate every move I make, both in and out of the bedroom.

“When you and I…” I start, then glance pointedly at the fridge. “I didn’t question what was happening because I didn’t want to. I should’ve though. Guy isn’t very spontaneous about that kind of stuff.” More like, at all.