“Do you think he’ll ask if you’ve let any women walk to their cars alone lately?”

“It’s possible,” I joked, nodding my head. “But even if he didn’t”—I sighed—“the minute he answered the phone, I’d probably blurt out the truth. Guilty conscience, you know?”

“It must have sucked to be your friend when you were a kid,” she said, chuckling.

“It did,” I replied in mock seriousness. We’d arrived at her car, and I searched for a way to buy myself some time. I hadn’t wanted to come, but now that the date was over, I didn’t want to leave.

“Well, thanks for the escort,” she said, smiling politely.

“You want to get dinner sometime?” I asked, grinning down at her.

“I’m really busy,” she hedged.

“I could work around your schedule—”

Before I could say anything else, she shook her head.

“Thank you, but no.” She unlocked her car door.

“Really?” I said, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.

She looked at me and snorted. “Yes. Really.”

“Uh, okay.” I stepped back, completely unsure of myself now.

Opening her car door, she turned to look back at me. “I’m focusing on school right now, but thank you for the invitation. Besides, I don’t date men prettier than me,” she said with a teasing smile.

After that parting shot, she climbed into her car and drove away, leaving me standing there on the pavement, a dazed look on my face. As I watched her taillights disappear, I started to laugh.

I was still laughing while I walked to my truck and climbed inside. Jesus. Getting completely shot down because I was too pretty was a fitting end to the hellish day I’d had. I mean, with the way the entire day had gone down, had I really expected that it would end any differently?

My phone rang as soon as I’d stepped through my front door, and I groaned when my brother’s name flashed on the screen.

“Abraham,” I answered.

“It’s Ani,” my foster sister, sister-in-law, and best friend whispered.

“Why are you calling from Bram’s phone?” I whispered back, grinning.

“Because my phone is in the bedroom with my sweet little demon, who is currently asleep for the first time in twenty-four hours,” she replied, still whispering.

“Damn, woman. Go get some sleep!”

“I am,” she hissed. “I was just calling you to make sure you didn’t call me.”

“I wasn’t planning on calling you.”

“Well, how was I supposed to know that?”

“You need some sleep,” I said, dropping onto my couch with a sigh. “You’re acting crazy.”

“Do you think Bram would find me if I slept in the bathtub?” she asked seriously. “I could put some towels in there, and—”

“Yes, he would notice. You have his phone,” I replied with a laugh. “Go get in bed.”