Her eyes widen when she sees me, and I catch the flash of panic there.
"I heard him. He's here?"
"Yep."
"Shit." She rushes toward the bed, grabbing for the shirt she wore earlier.. "Okay, okay, act casual. Don't be weird."
I watch her fumble with the buttons, her fingers shaking slightly.
"I'm always weird," I point out.
"Okay, well be less weird. And stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?"
She shoots me a look over her shoulder as she pulls on a pair of shorts. "Like you're remembering what I let you do to me last night."
I smirk, unable to help myself. "Hard not to."
She throws a pillow at me, and I catch it, grin still in place. But underneath the banter, I feel it.
She's slipping back into little-sister mode, and I'm supposed to pretend none of it happened.
Pretending I don't know the sound she makes when she's close. Pretending I haven't memorized every inch of her body and love every sensitive spot that makes her gasp. Pretending I'm not already missing the weight of her against me, even though she's standing right here.
We come downstairs together. Dylan's in the kitchen, already making himself at home with my coffee maker, and when he turns to greet us, I see the exact moment his protective instincts kick in.
Dylan doesn't miss a thing. He watches her like a protective older brother.
"You look good, Cass," he says, pulling her into a hug. "Rested."
Cass reaches for a mug, and I notice the slight tremor in her hands. "Morning, big bro."
"Morning," he says, eyes narrowing slightly as he studies her face. "You okay?"
I tense, waiting for her answer.
"Best rest I've had in months," she says with a bright smile that's just a little too wide.
Dylan's eyes flick to me.
I clear my throat and grab a banana from the counter, needing something to do with my hands. "Cass sis like a hurricane," I say flatly, falling back on our old dynamic. "She's still a mouthy, demanding little thing."
It's a lie. But it's the kind of complaint Dylan would expect from me.
She bumps me with her hip, and the contact sends electricity shooting up my spine. "You love it."
I freeze.
She freezes.
The words hang in the air between us, loaded with double meaning.
Dylan looks between us slowly, and I can practically see the gears turning in his head. "You two seem... cozy."
Cass snorts, but there's a tightness around her eyes. "What, we're not allowed to be civil?"
"Just surprised you're not already trying to murder each other." Dylan's voice is casual, but his eyes are anything but. "Usually takes you about five minutes to start bickering."
