For a moment, that little flutter of confidence I usually wore returned. Beautiful.

Just not lovable.

Shit.

“Nice to meet you.” I held out my hand, expecting Alix to shake it. Instead, he brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them.

“You too, beautiful.”

“Alix—” Kane said lowly.

“All right. All right. So. What are we doing for dinner tonight?”

He grinned at Kane. Then me.

I’d totally forgotten I hadn’t eaten dinner.

“I ordered a boatload of Chinese,” he said to Alix and turned to me. “While you were upstairs.”

My stomach rumbled at the thought. Who didn’t love Chinese? “Any chance you ordered pot stickers?”

He grinned. “Texted Heather and asked for your favorites.”

That flutter in my stomach grew warm and stretched. “Thank you.”

“Great,” Alix declared and helped himself to the couch in the living room, throwing his feet up on the coffee table, crossing his ankles like he lived here.

I stared at him, then Kane groaned. “You’re not invited, Alix.”

“He can stay,” I said quietly. If anything, he’d keep Kane and me from revisiting conversations best left alone.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

He looked doubtful, turned to Alix. “He’s harmless, I promise.”

“He seems fun.”

“Stop talking about me like I cannot hear you. I am Swiss, not stupid.”

“Huh.” Kane brought his beer to his mouth. I yanked my eyes off those full lips. “Thought they were the same thing.”

Ten

Kane

Something was going on with Emmersyn.

I didn’t even know the woman, and I knew she wasn’t acting right. Granted, two nights ago had been tough. From what Heather suggested to the talking about her family after. How she compared her dad to her ex had pissed me off. Made me want to throw her in front of a mirror and have her catalog every beautiful and lovable thing about herself.

She shut down once she returned. I felt it. Wall slammed firmly in place, she had no interest in discussing anything further. It went against every inch of my instinctual nature.

See a problem, solve it.

I lived for that shit.

Yet even before Alix showed up, I knew it wouldn’t happen. And after Alix arrived, he helped lighten the mood somewhat. Chinese food was delivered. We all had a couple more drinks, and then we laughed at Alix choosing eighties movies on Netflix to watch because he said they were his favorite look at America before he came here.

Like red Solo cup keg parties in front of a booming bonfire and rusted out pickup trucks were every American’s typical high school experience.

Eventually, Emmersyn had yawned, excused herself to bed. Alix went home shortly after, leaving me to clean up, which I did and went to bed myself.

There was no light shining beneath the door to her room, and once I entered mine, I did something I never did.

I kept my door open, left a pair of shorts at the corner of the bed in case she screamed or had another nightmare.