"Just got here."
His voice is rougher than usual.
"I'll get dressed."
"Yeah."
He sets the bag down on the counter without looking at it. I cross the hall to my room with my hair dripping down the back of the robe and my pulse going at the base of my throat where I can feel it on my own skin. I close the door behind me. I lean against it for a beat with my eyes closed.
He looked at me longer than he meant to. That is all I needed.
I put on jeans and a clean sweatshirt and I towel my hair out as much as I can. When I come back into the kitchen he has plates on the table and the paper bag is open between them. Two sandwiches from Lou's. He is already sitting.
"Lou sent these?"
"She did. She also sent a question for you. She wants to know if you're free Sunday afternoon to come in and help her with the pies for the church bake sale."
"Sunday?"
"I told her I'd ask. I can drive you in and stay with you. You'd be in her kitchen the whole time."
I take the offer with both hands. "I'd love that. Tell her yes."
"All right."
We eat the sandwiches. He keeps his eyes on his plate. I keep mine on him. I have stopped pretending to look anywhere else.
Halfway through he sets his sandwich down and looks at me directly for the first time since we sat down.
"Callie."
"Yeah."
"I am going to ask you to do something for me."
"Okay."
"Don't come out of that bathroom in a robe again."
My breath catches in my throat and stays there for a second before I get it back.
"Why not?"
He holds my eyes now, and doesn't look away.
"You know why not."
I nod, slow. A small smile comes to the corner of my mouth, and I let him see it. I keep his eyes the whole time I do it.
"Okay, Kane."
"Thank you."
He picks his sandwich back up and finishes it with his eyes on the window over the sink. I finish mine with my eyes on him.
When I carry my plate to the sink I pass behind him at a careful distance, holding myself back from stopping or letting my arm brush his. I have his rule and I am going to follow it.
I am also going to remember the look on his face when he asked for it. He gave me more inyou know why notthan in everything else he has said to me.
