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“The books in your apartment. You’re big into Greek and Roman mythology. I’m hoping this will focus more into those stories rather than horoscopes.” Leaning over the center console, I kissed Eliot. He froze at first before his hand came up to my face, holding me in place.

“Let’s go in. I want to look around before the show starts,” I told him, and he just nodded.

“Wait until I come around,” he ordered, hopping out of the truck. I was surprised when he picked me up in a car rather than the bike.

The night was perfect. Leaning back in the dark with Scythe’s arm around me, we watched the sky light up with stars, moons, and galaxies. My head on his shoulder, there was barely an inch between us the entire night. His hand traced patterns on my skin, and I remembered thinking I could stay in that position for the rest of my life.

Time passed quickly after that. Before I realized it, the end of summer had arrived, and fall was creeping in. I couldn’t complain, though. My life had never been fuller. Those last few months had been filled with new friends and new experiences. And everything Eliot. A constant presence, we easily folded into each other’s lives.

Sometimes, I caught him watching me, and I had to remind myself that it was real. Eliot sees me. In a way no one ever had, and it didn’t scare or repulse him as I was led to believe my entire life. The summer passed in a blur of rowdy shifts, dates with Eliot, and my full introduction to the Reaper’s Guard.

Bull frequently joined Eliot at the bar when I was working, but it was the morning shift at the cafe when things really kicked into high gear. There was a long line, iced lattes and matchas getting filled every minute. A tall, blonde woman with flawless skin and blue eyes approached the register. A shorter woman with bright red hair and glasses was standing beside her. I tried to shake it off, but it felt like they were watching me closely, and I didn’t know why.

“Hi! What can I get for you today?” I asked, eyeing the line behind them.

“Two iced coffees, please!” the blonde chirped as she exchanged a glance with the redhead.

“Alright. Anything else?” I asked, unable to read the vibe between the two women.

“You’re Lilah, right?” the blonde blurted out, and the other woman groaned.

“Yes?” I replied, then felt like an idiot when I realized I had a name tag on.

“You’re scaring her. Take it down a notch.” The redhead shoved the blonde out of the way so she could step closer. She looked familiar. Maybe from around town?

“I’m Fiona, and this is Charlie. We’re friends with Scythe,” she stated. Things clicked into place.

“Oh! Wow. Hi. I’ve heard a lot about you guys,” I said, feeling self-conscious. I had been up since 4 a.m. and was covered in flour and coffee stains. I was sure I looked like a mess.

“We just really wanted to meet you, so we thought we would stop by and say hi. See if you want to maybe get a drink or something with us tonight?” Fee asked hopefully. Some mutters and coughs came from behind them, so I rang them up, needing a minute to think.

“I would love that, but tonight is craft night at Beth’s,” I told them.

Before I could ask about another day, Charlie replied.

“Great! I’ll bring wine. What time?”

“Lilah! We’re out of filters. Can you run to the supply closet?” Mollie hollered from behind me.

“Never mind. I’ll just give Beth a call to confirm the deets. See you later!” Charlie pulled Fiona away from the register to the area where they waited for their drinks. With no time to dwell, the day passed quickly, and when I finally got to Beth’s, I had forgotten the two women would be there.

The worrying was for nothing, though. Both Charlie and Fee were both down to earth and friendly. Charlie was showing off pictures of Birdie when I got in, and Fiona sat nearby, trying to untangle yarn.

“Oh, Lilah! You must see little Birdie. She’s just darling.”

“She’s literally the cutest baby in the world. I can say that ’cause I’m her aunt. And I buy all her outfits, so she’s definitely the best dressed baby in town,” Charlie said proudly as she made room so I could see the photos she was showing off.

“Congratulations. She’s beautiful,” I told Fiona, who smiled back at me. Her eyes sparkled with happiness and pride.

“That’s so sweet. Thank you. Birdie is…Well, I’m biased, so I think she’s the best. But I don’t want to do baby talk on my one night of freedom! Let’s talk about you! Beth mentioned you also have a little book club going on, which sounds much better than the book war I’m in with Scythe. Would love to participate in something a little less stressful.”

“Why is it stressful?” I asked with a surprised laugh.

“Well, first, he’s read everything, so that makes it hard. Then there’s the fact that he’s a literature snob. Beth raised him on classic literature. If it’s not pre-19th century, he scoffs at it,” Fee admitted, the smile and excitement on her face clear.

“Sure. We don’t really have anything official going on. I’m just Beth’s smut peddler.”

“Yes, you are, and I’m grateful for it,” she said saucily, and we all laughed. It was a good night, and many similar ones followed.