Alfie clears his throat. “I’m surprised you visited. It doesn’t sound like you two get along.”

“My father doesn’t get along with people, he buys them. And it wasn’t him that I was visiting, but my stepmother. Wonderful woman.” He walks closer to me, winks, and I choke on my tongue. “I’m going to my hotel now,” he adds. His tone is at once intimate, and loud enough for the others to hear. “But I’ll be around. For however long you’d like me to be.”

Positive thought: maybe the deep crimson of my cheeks will conceal the red rim of my eyes. “Thank you,” I croak.

He bends down to press a cool, dry kiss over my cheek, cupping the back of my head. It’s just his fingertips, and I could easily free myself, but he smells good. Clean. Soap mixed with expensive fabric mixed with a faint trace of fresh sweat, probably from the plane ride. Pleasant.

“Just one more second,” he murmurs against my ear, only for me. “Don’t forget to breathe, Maya.”

The thing is, I know exactly what he’s doing, and it’s idiotic.

But also kind of amazing. Because when he straightens, my eyes skitter to Alfie’s arm, which is wrapped all the way around Georgia’s neck. Georgia’s hip, likewise, is leaning half against Alfie’s crotch.

In the past year, I made it very clear to Alfie that whenever he came over, there would be no PDA in shared areas, to avoid making Georgia uncomfortable in her living space. Clearly, this is a courtesy that they don’t plan on returning.

I follow Conor’s advice and breathe, feeling my anger rise up again. And with it, a touch of recklessness that…

Fuck it. We ball.

“Actually.” I glance up at Conor, surprised by how firm I sound. “There’s no reason for you to leave. Why don’t you just spend the night?”

• • • • •

I sleep in a twin bed.

I hadn’t forgotten, not exactly. I may, however, have neglected to consider its implications when I impulsively invited Conor to stay. I pull him in and close the door behind me, leaning against it. Then I wait for him to turn around and for our gazes to lock.

At which point, we laugh.

Silently. It’s mostly his shoulder, shaking, and me biting into the heel of my hand as I come to terms with whatever the fuck just happened. Until Conor hears something and lifts his finger. It’s Alfie and Georgia, walking past my door to her room.

Conor moves closer, palms above both my shoulders, boxing me in. Eyes never leaving mine, he pushes once, forcefully. The door shakes in the hinges, and I frown, unable to figure out what he’s up to. Until he does it again. And again. And again, building a rhythm that…

Oh my god, I mouth.

My shock makes him smile. When Alfie’s and Georgia’s voices suddenly fall to whispers, his eyebrow lifts. There’s the sound of another door being slammed shut, and with one last, energetic push, the noisiest so far, Conor steps away from me.