I frown because I hoped to have more time to spend with her before she leaves for vacation. “When are you leaving?”
She groans. “They’re packing the RV now. They want to be on the road by lunchtime.”
“So this is it,” I conclude glumly. “I won’t see you again until the end of summer.”
“Yeah, but that’s okay. I want you to have the best time, even if it is without me.” She winks. “It looks like you’re off to a good start.”
“So it appears.” I shrug.
“Don’t forget to text me later,” Vienna orders before she walks out of my room. She grins as she pulls the door shut behind her. “We’ll have much to talk about.”
“So much.” I give her a small wave.
I stare at the door long after she is gone. I already miss her. What will I do with myself this summer? How many new books will I have to buy to pass the time?
Of course, I am spending a lot of time with Luca so it may not be as boring as I anticipated—even if I now know he’s not interested in me the same way I’m interested in him. That much was obvious last night.
Ugh. How embarrassing. I don’t know how I managed to show my face after that disaster of a kiss attempt. I don’t know how I will show my face today with the memory still fresh in my mind.
He must think I’m an idiot.
I glance down at him with a frown.
My feet come off the floor and a startled scream flies out of my mouth.
Luca’s eyes are wide open and there is an epic grin on his lips.
“How long have you been awake?” I demand.
“Long enough to know that I like your friend.” He jabs a finger at the door.
“So date her,” I snap before my filter can stop the words.
“Nah. She’s not my type.” Luca folds both arms behind his head. When my gaze snaps to the sheet sliding down his abs, his grin grows. He’s having way too much fun teasing me.
I start to walk away before I realize I don’t have anywhere to go. My room isn’t tiny, but it doesn’t afford the space I need to stomp away either. I end up reclining against the dresser, arms crossed. “Are you planning to get out of my bed anytime soon?”
“I don’t know. It’s pretty comfortable in here.” Luca winks. “Want to get back in here with me?”
I glare at him.
It’s clear to me now. My initial opinion of Luca was accurate. He is one of those guys, and he loves knowing that he succeeded in hooking me. He knows exactly what he is doing, and what he is doing to me in the process. And he is enjoying it.
I can’t believe I let him trick me into thinking, however briefly, that he had a genuine bone in his body. I can’t believe I entertained the notion that he actually liked me.
He may have told me the truth about being a shifter, but I won’t give anything else he says any merit. Not now that I’ve figured him out. The joke is on him if he thinks I’m going to continue playing his games.
I shoot a pointed look at the clothes piled on the table beside him. “Get dressed so we can talk. I’ll be waiting for you downstairs.”
I don’t give him a chance to argue before I leave. I close the door behind me since I’m pretty sure I heard some movement from Jill’s room. I don’t expect her, or Steve, to get up anytime soon, but I don’t want to chance another awkward encounter.
In the kitchen, I start a pot of coffee, grab the milk from the fridge, a box of cereal from the pantry, and sit at the table with a big bowl. A few minutes later, Luca walks in, wearing my dad’s navy plaid pants and a white t-shirt.
He’s carrying the cast-iron skillet and plucks a feather from it before placing it in the sink with a grimace. “That should probably be cleaned before it’s used for cooking again.”
The sight of the bloody weapon brings it all back—not that I’ve forgotten. But instead of living in a bubble with the hope that I can go on pretending it never happened, I’m instantly thrust back into reality.
“I think I killed one of them last night,” I admit around a mouthful of Frosted Flakes. “That means I killed someone. They were in shifter form, but they were still someone, right?”
Luca opens a few cabinets before he finds what he’s looking for. He grabs a bowl and a spoon before joining me at the table. He pours a heaping pile of cereal, and covers it with milk, without answering me. He looks right at home in my kitchen, and I don’t know how I feel about that.
I watch him scoop a spoonful into his mouth. “Luca?”
He glances up. “Hmm?”
“What happened last night?” I ask.
“They tried to hurt you,” he answers simply. “You did what you had to do.”
I nod glumly. I understand the logic, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. Even if I did it in self-defense, I still took a life.
I could have easily lost my life . . . if not for Luca.
“How did you know they were here?” I ask him.
“We spent most of the day tracking their group,” he explains. “We suddenly lost their trail up in the mountains, and only then did we realize they were raptors. They led us up there, only to fly their way out.”
“So you came here?”
“I ran as fast as I could. I sent Ryder to that party just in case you went there, and Ryse went back to the campground to follow your trail. I took a gamble and came straight here.”
“Wait.” I shake my head. “You knew about the party? How?”
He points to an ear. “I listen.”
“Through a tap on my phone?” My tone is light, but I’m only half joking.
“Of course not.” He frowns at me. “People talk. You can learn a lot from listening to what they say.”
“I guess,” I grunt. “You were right though. About coming here.”
He shrugs. “I know you better than you think I do.”
I stare at him from across the table, a spoonful of cereal held inches from my mouth. “How exactly did we know each other?”
“You want to do this now?” He gives me a look—a dare.
“We need to,” I reply as smoothly as I can in spite of the sudden galloping in my chest.
I fear what he may tell me, but I have to know the truth. I need to understand everything, no matter how difficult it may be to hear.
“Can I finish my breakfast first?” Luca asks. “Healing takes a lot of energy.”
“Fine.” I stand with my bowl and dump what is left of the soggy cereal in the trash. My appetite is shot, along with my patience.
He promised me answers this morning. So far, all I have gotten out of him are a handful of lopsided grins and suggestive propositions. I’m not in the mood for his games this morning.
I glance at the clock with a sigh. I have an hour before I need to leave for work. We are running out of time.
I should press the issue and make him talk now, but I’m momentarily distracted by the sight of him sitting at my kitchen table as he finishes his breakfast. The whole situation feels strangely familiar, like this isn’t the first box of cereal we have shared.
“This is normal for you, isn’t it?” I ask him softly.
He glances at me between bites. “What?”