“She’s passed away, but I’ll shake your hand instead, if you’d like.” Leaf grinned and leaned past me to offer a bear paw to Devi. She accepted it, his giant fingers enfolding hers. For a moment, I worried this was that thing that sometimes happened where, upon seeing my gorgeous best friend, I became second-choice slop, but no. Leaf immediately pulled away to fuss at me about taking another square.

“I think I’m actually full,” I said, which probably didn’t mean much to him, but it sure surprised me. The bottomless pit was not so bottomless after all.

“Good, good. I’m glad. But there’s more. Pizza and snacks, too, if you change your mind.”

Leaf got up from the couch to wash his hands in the kitchen. He’d done it quite a few times since we’d sat down to eat. I also noticed that he didn’t share pizza with us, but stuck to his own personal-sized pizza. I hadn’t asked why, but he had offered something of an explanation while we were eating.

“Rom are particular, yes? I mentioned that,” he said. “It’s complicated but I mean no offense. It’s a cultural thing.”

“Like eating kosher, right?” Devi said. “Food rules. I’m Jewish. My grandmother is particular, too. So are a lot of Jews.”

Leaf nodded. “Yes! Something like that. The rules are different, but yes.”

And then his focus was back on me.

“What kind of movies do you like?” He picked up a stack of Blu-rays from the dining room table and thumbed through. “We’ve got scary, action, funny, funny action—”

I plucked Guardians of the Galaxy from the pile and handed it to him. “This one.”

“You’ve never seen it?” His dark brows lifted so high, they nearly kissed his widow’s peak.

“Oh, she has. About six hundred times,” Devi said. “It’s her favorite.”

“She has good taste! It’s one of mine, too.” Leaf left the couch to set up the Blu-ray player, pausing to glance back at Morgan and Erin, who were busy kissing and smiling and whispering to one another. Morgan was still sprawled across Erin’s lap, so the kisses were upside down and awkward looking, but sweet all the same.

“Excuse me, lesbians, but are you alright with Guardians?” Leaf asked.

“Pardon me, straight, but sure, that sounds good to me.” Morgan rolled her eyes up Erin’s way. “You cool with that, baby?”

Erin nodded. “Team Drax for life. I think the second movie is around here, too?”

“Uh-huh.” Morgan snuggled farther into Erin’s middle, sighing contentedly. Erin stroked her hands through Morgan’s carrot-orange hair. She’d forsaken her usual glammed pinup thing for yoga pants and an oversize T-shirt. I appreciated her casualness; it meant I wasn’t alone on Scrub Island.