“She said the floors creak, and then she told me to wake you up because you sleep like the dead.”
I swing my legs over the side of the bed and wince when the mattress lets out another groan. “My mom's not naive. She knew what was going on the moment she put us in rooms next to each other.”
“Then why didn't she just give us one room?”
“She's traditional, but she's not blind.” I stand and stretch, my back cracking from a night spent crammed into a twin bed with another person. “Besides, after last night, I think the whole house knows.”
Natalie groans and drops onto the edge of the bed, which squeaks loudly in response. “Don't remind me. I still can't believe we couldn't find a single position that didn't make noise.”
“This bed wasn't designed for two adults.”
“It wasn't designed for you.” She looks up at me and dissolves into giggles. “Your feet were hanging off the end.”
“I'm aware,” I say, trying not to laugh.
“And the teddy bear. I'm never going to let you live that down.”
“It's a mascot.”
“It's a teddy bear in a hockey jersey. It's adorable.” Her smile widens. “Big tough Ethan Ward, sleeping with his teddy bear.”
I grab a pillow and throw it at her head. She catches it and laughs.
I get up. “Time to face the firing squad.”
Natalie groans. “Don’t remind me.”
The horror expression on her face makes me laugh.
“This isn't funny, Ethan,” Natalie scolds.
“It's a little funny.”
She throws a pillow at my head. “And please act normal during breakfast.”
Acting normal proves impossible when we're sitting at the breakfast table and getting funny looks from my mother and Lucy. Thankfully, Bella and her boyfriend arrive.
Ted is a firefighter and an easy guy. We've met a few times before, but never for more than a few hours.
“Good to see you, man.” He shakes my hand with a firm grip. “How's the knee?”
The first thing everybody asks is about my bloody knee. I appreciate the concern, but I’d rather forget about it for a few hours. “Getting there.”
“Good to hear, man.” Ted nods with the confidence of someone comfortable in his own skin. “The whole department has been following your recovery. They're all rooting for you.”
“Tell them I appreciate it.”
I pull Bella into a hug. She's even more reserved than me. When she pulls back, her eyes move to Natalie.
“Bella, this is Natalie Cross. She’s my friend and physical therapist.”
“Emphasis on ‘friend’,” Lucy says, making air quotes.
Our little sister has a big mouth. “Shut up, Lucy,” I say mildly.
“What? I'm just saying.” She grins. “These old floors are very creaky at night. I hear all sorts of interesting sounds. Footsteps going back and forth between certain rooms.”
Bella's eyebrows rise. “Is that so?”
