Page 15 of Eddie

She cocked her head. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” But Matthias couldn’t stop looking at Eddie.

His mate was standing in front of the diner, leaning against the wall. He was scrolling on his phone, looking relaxed and good enough that Matthias wanted to eat him.

Eddie was wearing a pair of jeans that clung to his legs and showed off his body. He also had on a button-up shirt that was open at the throat. It showed skin that Matthias wanted to lick and a hint of hair that he desperately wanted to feel against his skin. Eddie’s hair flopped over his forehead, and he was smiling at whatever was on his phone screen.

“Oh, I like him,” Jenna purred, startling Matthias back to the present.

He was horrified when he realized that Jenna was staring at Eddie. Matthias would not allow her to get her hands on his mate. “Here,” he said briskly, grabbing money from his wallet. “Go and get that room.”

Jenna snatched the money and huffed. “There’s no need to be rude.”

“There’s no need for you to go after guys when you’ve just ended a relationship.”

She shrugged. “It’s not like Tommy and I were in love.” Her eyes twinkled as she turned back to Eddie. “I’m sure I could make him fall in love with me, though.”

“You won’t because you’re going to get that motel room, and that’s it. I don’t want to see you tonight. You’re not going to spy on me or pick up guys.”

“You really are no fun,” Jenna complained.

“Not when I’m dealing with you, and it’s entirely your fault.”

“I haven’t done anything.”

“You moved in with a guy you’d known for three weeks, Jenna. I know you don’t like to admit when you’re wrong, but surely you have to see how stupid that was.”

Jenna glared and opened the truck door. She slid out and slammed the door so hard it made Matthias jump. It also made Eddie look up. He was probably wondering who was slamming car doors so hard to rattle the windows. His eyes widened when he saw Matthias sitting in the truck. He looked from Matthias to Jenna, a frown forming on his face.

Jenna didn’t even bother to get any of her bags from the back of the truck. She stalked toward the motel, and Matthias waited until she was inside before opening his own door. Hopefully, she wouldn’t come back.

He locked the truck and put his keys into his pocket. He made his way toward Eddie, who waited where he was, staring at him. He seemed amused now, and Matthias wanted to ask him why, but he also wanted to ask him many other questions, and he wasn’t sure where to start.

He came to a stop in front of Eddie. Eddie put his phone away, then looked Matthias up and down. “You really didn’t sleep much,” he commented. “You look tired.”

“Because I am tired, but don’t mention that to Jenna. She insists she doesn’t snore. She even tried to gaslight me into believing that I was the one snoring.”

Eddie chuckled. “Most of the time when you talk about your sister, I don’t think I want to meet her, but then you say something like that, and I wonder.”

“Trust me, you do not want to meet her. She’d eat you alive.”

“That would be a pity because she’s not the sibling I wish would eat me alive,” Eddie said in a low, throaty voice. “Why don’t we go sit down inside?”

Matthias’s body felt hot, and he barely managed to nod. When Eddie opened the door, Matthias followed him into the diner, trying to think, but it was almost impossible. How was he supposed to when Eddie said things like that?

Eddie seemed to know everyone in the diner. He waved at a few people, stopped to talk to one of the waitresses, then made a beeline for a booth at the back. He slid into it as if he belonged there, and maybe he did. Matthias had no idea how often Eddie ate here, but it wasn’t an expensive restaurant or anything like that, so the odds were that it happened often.

“This place looks nice,” he commented as he sat down.

“It’s where most of the town eats when they don’t want to cook,” Eddie said with a smile. “And in small towns, everyone knows everyone. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true.”

“So you know everyone here?”

“Apart from a few people who are probably passing through like you and your sister, yeah.”

Matthias opened his mouth to tell Eddie that maybe he wasn’t just passing through, but he didn’t get the opportunity to say the words. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he took it out to check in case Jenna needed anything. Unfortunately, it wasn’t her. It was so much worse.

His mother was calling.