Don’t oversell it, Bliss!

“And you decided not to tell me any of this because …”

I cleared my throat, reaching for the final donut. “Because I didn’t want you to think that I was trying to … I dunno, one up you or something, since you’d finally gotten your act together with Humphrey.”

“And … things went well enough that he couldn’t stay away even for a week, and he tracked you down at the hospital?”

“And again this morning, at brunch with Joe and—” I cut myself off suddenly. My brain was addled enough trying to keep this lie straight in my head without adding the complexity of reliving how Joe had foisted Chad on me that morning.

“And you’re certain he’s not a serial killer?”

I guffawed too loudly. “What the He-heck makes you think that?”

“Well, it’s a bit … stalkerish … don’t you think?”

I bit into my donut, thinking furiously. “I think …” I paused to swallow and take a long drink of my cup of tea. “I think it’s sweet. He’s … sweet.”

I bit my lip, hoping he hadn’t heard how I’d had to force out that word. Even if SJ had been just a tiny bit sweet, the way he’d held my hand under the table at brunch … until his thumb had started caressing up under my dress …

I blew out a breath. Not the time to be revisiting that … or the way his big palms had felt, caging in my waist, pressing me into the wall. Talking in that deep, cultured accent about ‘sordid bathroom romps’.

Was it getting hot in here?

Ezra bit into his donut, regarding me shrewdly. But not disbelievingly. I barely breathed while I waited to see if he’d bought my fib.

Finally, he swallowed his mouthful, and his lips split into a huge grin. “When do I get to meet him? Ooooh! We should go on a double date!”

My brain did a record scratch.

Nope. There was no way in the world I could introduce Ezra to SJ. Oh God, what if he decided that Ezra’s soul would be nice to try and collect as well? Or Humphrey’s? Did he just walk around Earth, seeing us all as a potential meal for whatever beasts awaited our souls in Hell?

My stomach churned. It had felt like a game, and yes, the stakes were high, but I’d never actually considered what would happen to me if he won.

“Jem?”

“Huh?” I blurted, blinking over at Ezra.

“Double date? Maybe tomorrow night?”