“Shut up,” I groan, and glance over her head, trying to figure out how to introduce this spontaneous yet completely planned setup. “I need to talk to you about something ...”
Her frown lines form before her voice rises nervously. “Shit. Mom told you. That’s why you’re so weird right now.” She lifts a hand. “It wasn’t really my fault, but I do feel bad.”
My brows lift, and I don’t even have to look at Noah to know what Evie just said has piqued his interest too. The best part about little sisters is they always confess their crimes before they’re even up for interrogation.
“Uh, told me what ...?” I lean in toward her, watching her swallow the realization that she’s fucked up.
“Shit.” She winces and I nod, motioning with my hand for more.
The background sound of girls cheering for the chef to be dunked makes me smile but doesn’t distract me from my sister. I know she’s going to try to escape from this conversation like Houdini out of handcuffs. It’s not happening.
“Nope. Out with it, right now, or I’ll—”
Evie’s hand flies over my mouth to stifle the rest. “Fine. Remember that guy I hooked up with last week? From the café we went to. The kind of ugly one but he had those gorgeous blue eyes. Super gangly, but funny. He was like a bunch of trade-offs.”
I squint, moving her hand as I try to remember him from the roster she has.
My head tilts thoughtfully. “Yes?”
“Leather jacket with ‘The Smiths’ spray-painted on it, and you said, ‘Great band,’ and he said—”
“‘It’s my last name,’” I finish, nodding. “Yeah, I remember him.”
Noah chuckles as he grabs my back pocket to guide me closer to him before his arms wrap around me. I let my chin rest on his forearms.
Evie fake chews her thumbnail. “Well, he won’t see me anymore because he almost died in front of your place.”
My eyebrows shoot up as my eyes almost pop out of my head. “What! My place? How?”
Noah’s body is firm behind me, tensed, as Evie looks sheepish.
“So you’re going to be mad ... I went by to return your new black boots—”
“I didn’t loan you my boots,” I cut in.
She bites her bottom lip and shrugs. “Yeah, that’s the ‘You’re gonna be mad’ part ... I took them without asking. You were at work late, so I made him wait outside for me and—” My mouth falls open as I suck in a shocked breath as she continues. “Apparently, he was sitting on your stoop, and someone hit him with a crowbar and took his wallet.”
“Jesus, is he okay?”
“Yeah.” She scowls as if I’m the problem. “I wouldn’t be telling you like this if he’d actually almost died or had been disfigured. I’m not a monster. Although, blaming me and never talking to me again seemed a tad bit overdramatic and frankly unchivalrous.”
“Evie,” I admonish, but she shrugs, grinning. “Noah, weigh in ... Am I wrong?”
He says nothing as I frown, thinking about how often he’s left my apartment in the wee hours, before I look up at him. His eyes meet mine, and he kisses my forehead.
“You’re staying with me tonight. And tomorrow.”
I nod as Evie pushes her braids over her shoulder. “That’s probably a good idea. Crime is getting out of control in this city.” She turns in the direction I don’t want her to go, but I’m not really paying attention. “You should put an extra dead bolt on the door. Maybe get one of those lipstick Tasers?”
“Yeah, agreed,” I say, still kind of freaked out, but before I can finish my thought, Evie gasps, jerking me back into the present.
Because the sound is less shock and more like she’s been set on fire. Her head swivels around slowly, her eyes locking to mine.
“What. The actual. Fuck . . .”
My sister’s throwing daggers at me. And she’s hitting me right between the eyes. Everything we were just talking about disappears from my mind because the jig is up. Noah releases me and we look at each other, his “bloodbath” prediction sinking in. I don’t want to admit the truth as my shoulders hit my ears.
Chase’s voice carries to us. “No way. Do not give that man any balls. He’s lived this long without them. What’s a few more minutes until my shift is up?”
