“I was. See.” I pointed to the hole at the top of my wall then at the cover on the floor.
Kaiden closed the knife and shoved it into his pocket before standing.
“Hey! That’s mine. And the floor is lava!”
“Not anymore.” He picked up the cover, and I held my breath as he shoved it back into place. “I saved you.”
Thankful he didn’t see the pouch, I smiled and relaxed against the chair. “Yes, you did.”
He flopped onto the bed and rolled to his side to face me. His cheek rested against his propped-up fist as he studied me, exactly like he used to do when we were younger. Those memories were always tainted by what came after.
I mimicked his pose and batted my lashes. “Why are you here?”
“Can’t I just come see my sister?”
I laughed. “You never just come see your sister.”
Kaiden frowned. “I’m worried about you.”
“And?” I raised my brows.
“I’m bored.” He sighed. “I don’t have anything to do tonight.”
“Correction. You don’t haveanyoneto do tonight.”
His smirk made me laugh. “Touché. Let’s go to our favorite spot and get a drink. My treat.”
Kaiden took the thought right out of my brain. He knew something was up and this was his way to pry it out of me. Years have passed since we’ve discussed our time in the labyrinth. The last time, he made it very clear he didn’t want to speak of it again. Regardless, it was time to share what was happening with him.
“Your treat? I better get dressed before you change your mind.”
“Har. Har. Har.” He pushed off the bed, and as soon as he entered the hallway, I shouted, “The floor is lava!”
He scrambled to find purchase somewhere and dove into the bathroom. The next thing I heard was a splash and his grumbles. I used my feet to propel off the side of the bed, and the chair rolled to the doorway. Grabbing the frame, I pulled myself into the hall to find him perched on the toilet seat, one foot inside thepot. My lips twitched, and I pinched them together to keep from laughing.
“Don’t,” he gritted through his teeth.
“I didn’t say a word. Not one little word.” I covered my mouth with my fingers as he pulled his foot from the toilet. Water poured from the tip of his soggy sock back into the bowl. He peeled it off and dropped it inside. “Hey!”
“You deal with it,” he said as he walked past me.
“Gross.” My nose wrinkled at the wet footprints on the floor. “At least dry your foot off.”
“Too late.” He rubbed his foot on the carpet. “Get dressed. I really need that drink now.”
“How’s life?”
Kaiden watched the hostess at our favorite Irish pub as he sipped his neat whiskey. His eyes might have been wandering up and down her curvy frame donning an apron longer than her shorts, but his attention was entirely on me and my screwed-up existence. When I didn’t respond quick enough, or maybe he had gotten his fill, he shifted his gaze to me.
I shrugged and drew on the condensation of my Southern sweet tea with the tip of my finger. The beads of sweat rolled together to create large droplets that careened down the glass like a wild flood. “It’s life.”
“Elaborate.”
I took a drink to give myself a beat to choose my words carefully. I needed more time than I currently had.
“Did you find a job?”
“Not yet.” I half joked, “I’ve got some plans in motion.”
