She shook her head. “I don’t want to totally ruin my appetite. You have no idea what culinary delights await me.” She gave a happy sigh and I was abruptly and strangely envious of her family for making her sigh like that.

I wanted that sigh for myself, and I realized that despite repeating to myself that it was a bad idea and far too complicated, I had a crush on my roommate. My off-limits-for-many-good-reasons roommate.

Only, I couldn’t seem to think of all those reasons right now.

I cleared my throat. From the way she’d been tiptoeing around me, I knew I could get away without bringing it up, but I didn’t want it hovering over us. Getting between us. More than that, knowing I’d hurt her and Van, even though I understood why, didn’t make me feel good. “I’m sorry. About the first night.” I glanced at her, but her expression didn’t tell me much. “I hurt you. And Van.”

Lou was frowning at me, her brows pinched.

I rubbed a hand against my forehead. Great, the panic sweat was back. “It’s not you. Or her. Anyway, I’m sorry.” The silence in the car stretched out until I started to fidget. Please, fuck, say something soon, otherwise I’m going to open my car door and roll out into traffic.

She made a sort of frustrated noise, though I wasn’t sure what it was aimed at. “Declan, as far as I’m concerned, you have no reason to apologize. It was a bad situation all around.” Lou shoved her wrapper into the trash bag between the seats. “Not really anyone’s fault.”

I glanced at her again. She looked comfortable. Shoulders down. Expression open. Slight smile on her face. Was she honestly over it?

“I just…I hated that I hurt you.”

“I know, and I’m sorry that we put you in that position, even if it wasn’t intentional.” She turned in her seat, angling her face toward mine. “Can we start over?” She stuck out her hand. “Louise. Your new roommate and animal mage.”

I took one hand off the wheel, taking her palm in mine. “Declan. Shifter.” We shook, and I tried not to think about how nice that small, soft hand felt in mine. I bet she was that soft all over…fuck.

I dropped her hand. “Thank you. For giving me another chance.” I stretched my neck, trying to loosen my muscles.

Lou shook her head. “I say terrible things all the time, so I try to be understanding when other people do it.” She rubbed her hands down her thighs and I tracked the movement. “I think we both feel pretty bad about—oh, yay!” The GPS had announced our exit and now she was actually bouncing in her seat with anticipation.

I grinned at her. “Your mom a good cook, then?”

“Oh, hell no. My mom burns toast. She can fix the toaster, but she can’t use it properly. No, Mama Ami, Papa B-jou, Gram Gram, and the aunties will be our culinary saviors.” Her brows knit. “Sometimes I wonder if family dinner night started because they were all worried that my mom and I might starve after Mama Ami moved out.” She leaned forward. “It’s that house there—third on the left.”