It takes approximately two seconds for Cora and Nandini to show up and approximately one second after that for Nandini to drag me away while Cora stares at Ace with her arms crossed and foot tapping.

“Karina?” Ace says, gaze darting between Cora, Nandini, and me. His expression is cooler than I’m used to. However, I’ve come to accept that Ace has trouble being his true self around people he’s not fully comfortable with.

Hopefully he’ll be comfortable with my friends one day soon. I don’t doubt it will happen. I just don’t know when.

“Alistair, sweetie, so nice to see you again.” Cora smiles warmly at me before she looks back at Ace, her expression shifting to something cold and terrifying. “All right, let’s talk business.”

“Uh, okay?” he says.

“It has come to my attention that you and my wonderful, lovely, one-of-a-kind best friend Karina are doing whatever it is you two are doing. For some reason completely beyond me, she seems happy. However, if she’s anything less than happy, ever—and I don’t care if you did it or if someone else did it, because I’m going to assume it’s still your fault—just know I’ve seen every Mission Impossible movie and I know how to kill someone with a pen.”

Nandini lets go of me to join Cora, throwing an arm around her shoulder. “When you fall asleep tonight, keep your third eye open. We’ll be watching.”

I stifle a giggle. My friends are so ridiculous. Now that everything’s out in the open, I honestly don’t care if they threaten Ace twenty times a day so long as he isn’t bothered by it either. I know my friends are dramatic, and that’s part of why I adore them.

Ace blinks. “Noted.”

Cora returns to normal in a second, grinning cheerfully as she claps him on the shoulder. “Great! Glad that’s settled.”

Without another word, she skips over to me and loops her arms with mine. When she starts pulling me away, I falter only to smile back at Ace. “I’ll see you later.”

His eyes are fond, even if the rest of his face is unmoved. “Yeah, you will.”

I’m sitting in the library, outlining new study questions for Ace when someone loudly approaches our table.

I’m alone, because I forgot my copy of The Scarlet Letter and Ace went in search of another. I wish I’d gone instead when I see who’s standing over me.

“Xander,” I say slowly. I’ve never been alone with Ace’s brother before, and I don’t want to start now. “Hello.”

Xander’s expression is dark. “Where’s Alistair?”

“He’s...in the bathroom,” I say, glancing down at the notes, books, and papers scattered across the table. Xander isn’t supposed to know I’m tutoring Ace.