I barely had any clothes left in my dresser, so I shoved my hand in the Forever 21 bag next to my nightstand. There wasn’t much of use in the bag: a pair of jeans one size too big and a brown button-up shirt that fit me everywhere but the chest. I stretched my arms out to see how much of an opening there was between the buttons. Ugh, too much. The last thing I needed was for my dad to comment on my clothes being too small. I ended up throwing on a black T-shirt with a little pocket on it and my go-to black jeans with a hole at each knee. I knew my dad would comment on them, but he always made the same jokes. “You have a hole in your pants.” Or “I hope you didn’t pay full price for destroyed jeans.”

I finally made it out to the living room with about five minutes to spare before I had to leave. Kael was sitting in the same spot, his eyes looking like they were going to close at any minute, his T-shirt clinging to his broad shoulders. The chair looked so small when he was in it. He had to be at least six inches taller than me and at least ten taller than Elodie. The longer I looked at him, the bigger he seemed to grow.

Elodie darted out of the kitchen with a big bowl of popcorn. “Leaving?” she asked.

I nodded, digging my hand into the bowl. I was starving. I couldn’t even remember if I’d had anything to eat today. I knew Mali’s food was in our fridge and I would eat it as a late-night snack after barely touching whatever Estelle would be serving.

“I’m going to be late,” I said, groaning.

“What would happen if you didn’t go?”

Elodie and I often joked about my Tuesday date. We did that every single Tuesday, to be exact.

“They would disown me.” I looked at Kael. He wasn’t looking our way, but somehow, I knew he was listening. He was a soldier, after all.

“So, wouldn’t be so bad, yeah?” She licked her buttery fingers and then wiped them across her shorts.

“Not bad at all, actually.” I grabbed my water jug from the table by the couch. Elodie went a little far with the salt on the popcorn. “Do you want me to bring you home dessert?”

She nodded, smiling with a mouthful of kernels.

“I’ll be back around nine thirty. Maybe later, but hopefully not,” I told both of my houseguests. I found myself wondering what they would be doing after I left. The images in my head bothered me a little, not only because Elodie was married, but because this guy seemed off. Before I could even contemplate that, his voice surprised me as I reached the door.