He stared into the flames that were roaring inside the fireplace for what seemed like forever until he turned to look at me. His eyes met mine, and a shiver danced down my spine before it fizzled out.

The intensity in his gaze, however, did not, and it seemed like an age passed until he spoke. “You think I don’t like you?”

I pushed my hair behind my ear and broke eye contact for a fleeting second. “It’s not hard to figure out. You’re rude to me more times than you are kind, and you dismiss me more often than you entertain me. And that’s fine, really. If we all liked everybody, this would be a horribly boring world, but I just want you to know that my wanting to help you isn’t contingent on you liking me or being a member of my father’s staff. I genuinely would like to help you, if you’d let me.”

Miles’ throat bobbed. “He lives at number four. I would appreciate if someone could check on him and that bloody menace of a cat of his.”

I held his gaze and forced a small smile. “No problem.” I turned to my phone and opened my text thread with Adelaide and Evangeline. I didn’t have a whole bunch of signal, something I was reminded of as another bout of hailstones smashed against the windows as if they were trying to break in, but it was enough to send a quick text or two.

ME: I need a favour.

ADDY: I am not getting a spider out of your bathtub again. Not in this weather.

EVA: What she said.

ME: Funny. I’m flooded in with Miles.

EVA: I’d like to be flooded in with Miles.

ADDY: EVANGELINE

ADDY: Same, though, let’s be honest.

ME: I’m being serious.

EVA: Then why are you texting us and not getting busy with him?

ME: I don’t want to sleep with him.

Lies.

Mostly.

EVA: You’re a stronger woman than I. If I wrote down the things I’d do to that man, I’d be arrested for solicitation.

ADDY: I think it’s just called whoring yourself out these days.

This was why we weren’t allowed to work on projects together in school.

Our tangents had a tangent.

ME: Oh, my gosh. Can we focus, please?

ADDY: Yes. What do you need? Condoms? We’re a bit far away from that.

Clearly, I’d made a grave mistake here.

ME: His grandfather is at 4 Bramble Lane with his cat. He needs a hip replacement and Miles is really worried about him. Are you flooded up there or could your dad drive down there to check on him?

I stared at my phone waiting for the response, and I was all too aware of Miles’ eyes on me, too.

ADDY: On our way. Give us 20.

I looked over at Miles. “They’re on their way. Give them twenty minutes and they’ll let me know.”

He nodded, but his attention was fleeting. Instead of turning back to the fire like I’d expected, he picked up the cricket book he’d selected from the shelves earlier. In all honesty, I was grateful for that. If he was reading, it meant I didn’t have to talk to him.