Page 21 of His Reckoning

“That sounds stressful.”

“It’s exhausting.”

He crosses his arms. “So, their long-term plan was what exactly?”

“Strategic seating arrangements.”

“That sounds ominous.”

“Dinner parties. Charity events. One time, my mother sat me next to a hedge fund manager like she was arranging a diplomatic summit.”

“And?”

“He explained derivatives for forty minutes.”

“That’s difficult to recover from.”

“Exactly.”

The kitchen falls quiet as I set the glass down.

“Well,” I say, starting toward the hallway, “I’m going to pretend the internet doesn’t think we’re dating.”

“That seems like a reasonable strategy.”

“Try not to accidentally get photographed with anyone else tomorrow,” I add.

“That’s a difficult request in this city.”

“Do your best.”

I walk down the hallway toward the guest room, but just before I close the door, one thought crosses my mind.

Living with Sawyer was already going to be complicated. Now, apparently, the entire internet thinks I’m dating him.

Which feels like a situation that could only get worse.

Chapter Four

Sawyer

The apartment is quiet when I wake up, which isn’t unusual. The faint glow coming from the kitchen is unusual.

I check the time as I walk down the hallway.

Six fifteen.

I stop just short of the doorway when I find Kayla sitting at the island—or more accurately, she’s collapsed on it.

Her laptop is open in front of her, but her head is resting on one arm, hair spilling across the keyboard like she simply ran out of energy mid-sentence.

I lean against the counter for a second, studying the scene.

The laptop screen is still glowing. The document open on it contains a handful of lines followed by a lot of blank space.

Quietly, I move to the coffee machine. If I’m careful enough, I can probably—but the moment I press the button and the grinder starts, the noise echoes loudly throughout the kitchen.

Kayla jerks upright.