Page 27 of Twisted Needs

“Honey?” he asks.

I whip my head toward him too quickly.

He blinks. “For the tea.”

“Oh.” I exhale sharply through my nose. “Yeah. Honey’s fine.”

“We have agave if you want that instead.”

“Honey is fine,” I repeat, and now he’s definitely trying not to laugh at me.

The kettle clicks onto its base between us.

We’re standing too close. Close enough that if either of us shifted even slightly our arms would brush against each other.

“If something’s wrong, you can talk to me,” Anders says quietly. “I might not be able to help, but I can listen.”

That shouldn’t affect me as much as it does. I’m supposed to be the one looking after him, making sure he’s okay. It’s not supposed to be the other way around.

“I’m okay,” I tell him softly. “But thank you.”

“Well, I don’t believe you.”

My heart stutters hard enough that I’m convinced he can hear it. “I’m just tired,” I murmur, not necessarily a lie, but not the full truth. “Long day.”

“But you’re still awake.”

God.

Anders lets the silence sit between us for a moment before leaning back against the counter.

“I like having you here,” he says finally.

Something in my chest tightens painfully.

“That surprises me,” I admit before I can stop myself. “Because you’ve been avoiding me all weekend.”

His brows pull together immediately. “I’m not avoiding you.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“I just…” He hesitates. “You’re so different around Luca.”

“Different how?”

Anders shrugs, eyes dropping briefly to the counter before lifting back to mine. “Like you’re his friend and not mine.”

I can only stare at him, because somehow, this kid knows exactly what to say to get under my skin.

“Well, you’re wrong,” I say quietly. “I’m yours, too.”

“Yeah, but Luca has this way of reminding me that he had you first.”

The room suddenly feels unbearably hot.

Anders reaches toward the counter between us, and his pinky brushes mine. My breath catches instantly.

He notices. Of course he notices.