Page 108 of Mine To Hunt

"I’m relieved I’ve your approval." He says dryly.

The casual humor softens the atmosphere, but I can still feel that thread of concern under everything he does. The way he keeps glancing toward the door, the windows, the corners of the room.

After a few bites, he leans back slightly, folding his arms loosely as if preparing himself for something more serious.

"So. Work?"

I sigh, letting my shoulders drop as the weight of it returns almost instantly.

"It’s fine. Busy. The cases are interesting, but sometimes they feel too close to home."

His expression tightens subtly, the humor draining from his face as he studies me more carefully than I like. "Then maybe you should not take those kinds of cases."

"I can’t exactly filter reality." I reply, staring down at my food.

"You can decide how much of it you let inside your head." He says quietly.

I give him a small look. "You worry too much."

"And you act like nothing touches you." He replies.

The way he says it makes something in my chest shift slightly, like he sees more than I want him to.

After lunch, we call Maddie, and her face appears instantly on the screen, bright and dramatic as always, like she brings her own spotlight wherever she goes.

"Look at you two." She teases. "Domestic already?"

"It’s not like that." I say, laughing despite myself. "Al helped me install security cameras."

Her playful expression softens immediately, replaced by genuine relief that makes me realize how worried she has been. "That makes me feel so much better. I hate you being alone there."

"Now she can monitor everything from her phone." Al adds, his tone calm but firm, as if repeating a fact he has personally guaranteed.

Maddie sighs dramatically. "I wish I was there. Being stuck here is torture."

"I’m sorry you got grounded because of me." I say, guilt threading through my voice.

She waves it off. "Ree, my dad does not need a reason. He just enjoys control."

We drift into old university memories naturally, the kind that always makes things feel lighter for a while.

"Remember Professor Richmond?" Al says. "The one who never learned anyone’s name?"

Maddie bursts into laughter. "He called me Madeline the Magnificent for an entire week."

"And you answered every time." I add.

"Because it sounded powerful." She defends.

The laughter comes easier after that, filling the flat with something warmer and more alive than it has felt all day. Then Maddie leans forward slightly, eyes sparkling.

"Al, show me that sculpture."

He hesitates just enough for me to notice before lifting his phone and angling it between the camera and me.

"It’s abstract."

The image steadies, and I lean in slightly, studying it more carefully as the details come into focus, my amusement fading into curiosity.