“Don’t worry, Elara. I’m still staying here.”
The shoulders go right back up and I stare at Erik.
“What?”
“So that’s her name.” Gunnar. Not to me — to Erik, like Erik’s been caught holding evidence. Behind him, the measuring cup pauses halfway up and comes back down.
And — hold on.
That’s her name?They’ve been in my apartment for an hour. They broke my door. They drank my coffee. They received individual nicknames. And at no point did anyone ask my name, and at no point did I give it, which means I ran a full interrogation on three strangers and skipped the only part that comes with a handshake.
“Elara,” I say, to the room, pointing at myself. Since apparently we’re doing this by committee. “Hi.”
“Pleasure,” Brock says, warm, like we’re at a dinner party and not standing over the wreckage of my life at the moment.
“And why,” Gunnar says, back on Erik, delighted, sitting forward, “can’t we stay here?”
“Because,” Erik says.
We wait.
That’s it. That’s the sentence. Because. Erik — who has had an answer for everything tonight, who handed out introductions like a man reading names off a bus schedule — has hit the word because and run completely out of road.
I have never once seen him do that. Not that I’ve been around him all that much to know… but still.
Looks like I’m not the only one. Gunnar sees it too. Something lights up behind his eyes, and there’s no way this ends well.
“Noted,” Gunnar says.
“Gunnar.”
“I’m just saying.” He looks around the apartment. His eyes stop on Gerald and keep going. “Seems fine in here. Cozy. Plenty of”—he gestures vaguely at the air—“room.”
“There is not plenty of room. There is a pull-out and a plant.”
“She’s got a blanket fort,” Gunnar corrects Erik. Like I’ve just made his argument for him.
“That’s one person—”
“It’s warm, though.” He’s not even looking at me now. He’s watching Erik. “You’d hate for us to cross a strange new city this late. We’re tired and there’s so many unfamiliar roads.”
“You walked here.”
“Even worse. Picture the walk.”
“Gunnar—”
“Hotels are expensive.”
“Very,” Brock agrees, from my bookshelf, not looking up.
“I said you can go right across the hall.” Erik’s jaw clenches like he’s had this argument before.
“Nonsense. Besides, you said yourself beautiful here needs protection… From an ex, was it?”
Gunnar says it innocently, like he’s making sure he’s got his information right.
There is nothing innocent about that man.
