Orion speaks up, cutting through the tension. “If you already know about the murders, then you know this isn’t just a coincidence.”

I nod slowly. “Mo and I have already started looking into it. But we don’t have enough yet.”

Orion exhales, rubbing his jaw. “Then we work together.”

I blink. “What?”

“You, me, and Morgan,” Orion lists. “Tomorrow night. We lay everything out, compare notes, figure out what we’re missing.”

I exhale slowly. “Fine. Tomorrow night. But we all share what we know.”

Orion nods once, satisfied.

Selene folds her arms. “I can’t believe I’m the only one that was left in the dark. Celeste, when did you find out?”

Celeste grins. “Oh, sweet sister, I’ve known for a week.”

Selene glares at her, and for once, Celeste wisely shuts up.

Just like that the mood is successfully ruined.

Orion stretches, seemingly satisfied with the chaos he’s caused. “I’ll leave you two to it. Theo, I’ll call you tomorrow with the time and place.”

I nod, and he turns to Selene, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head before giving me a look that clearly says I’m watching you. Then he’s gone.

The silence that follows is heavy. A lingering weight of everything Orion just dumped on us.

I glance at Selene. She’s leaning against the counter, her arms wrapped around herself, staring at the floor. Her teeth tug at her bottom lip, and I can feel the frustration radiating off her.

The timer for the cookies goes off. She moves automatically, pulling them from the oven and setting them on the cooling rack with precise, practiced motions.

“You okay?” I ask softly, stepping closer.

She lifts her eyes to mine, and even though she nods, I can see the uncertainty still clinging to her. “Yeah. I hate being the last one to know things. It’s also… it’s a lot.”

“It is,” I agree, keeping my tone light, trying to ease the weight in the room. “But we’ll figure it out. Together.”

She manages a faint smile, but it’s not quite there.

And I get it. Because I feel the same way.

Tonight was supposed to be… different. Better.

I was going to kiss her again. I knew I was. Maybe more. I felt it, she felt it, we were on the same page, the same wavelength. And then Orion had to go and drop a pile of murder conspiracies on us and completely kill the mood.

The worst part? He’s not even wrong.