Page 83 of Glitched Fates & Stolen Mates

“Have fun, Felix,” Appa called from the dining room.

“Use protection!” Lily shouted, earning what sounded like a sharp smack from Eomma.

I fled.

Outside, the evening air hit my face like a blessing, cool and clean after the suffocating heat of dinner. Kit stood across the street, leaning against a brick wall, hands shoved deep in the pockets of a soft grey cardigan. The wool hung loose around his broad frame, somehow making him look less intimidating than usual.

We started walking towards each other, that awkward dance where neither of us seemed sure what the greeting should be. A handshake? A hug? Were we at the “Kit sweeping me off my feet to kiss me passionately upon sight” stage yet? Did soulmates even have stages?

When we met in the middle of the pavement, I settled for a small smile and gestured vaguely down the street.

“My family are almost definitely spying through a window right now, so let’s start walking.”

Kit’s eyes widened before his face split into an almighty grin. “You told them about me?!”

“Sort of,” I said, already regretting every life choice that had led to this moment. “We met on an app, okay?”

Kit chuckled, a low rumble that made my stomach do something acrobatic. “And who messaged first?”

“You, obviously.” I shot him a sideways glance as we turned onto the main road. “I played hard to get for months.”

“And then?”

“And then you wore me down with your relentless charm and devastating good looks. Maybe a couple of GIFs of cute puppies.” I kept my voice deadpan, even as my cheeks flushed. “Very smooth operation. I was helpless against such sophisticated seduction techniques.”

Kit’s laugh was louder this time, drawing curious looks from a couple walking their dog. “Sophisticated? Is that what we’re calling my complete inability to form coherent sentences around you?”

“I prefer to think of it as strong, silent NPC energy,” I said. “Or strategic intimidation. Very attractive to us nerdy types who’ve never seen actual confidence.”

We crossed at the lights, and Kit’s hand brushed against mine as we walked. Then he suddenly grabbed it, interlacing our fingers while glancing at me. I smiled at him, and he squeezed back tightly.

“There’s a tiny place I found online. Half an hour’s walk from here, on the outskirts of town,” Kit said, his thumb tracing circles across my knuckles. “Proper fancy hot chocolate. The kind that comes with little biscuits shaped like hearts.”

I snorted. “Hearts?”

“I didn’t think you’d appreciate the aesthetic.” His smile was lopsided, endearing. “But they do these pastries filled with salted caramel that look like edible sin.”

We turned down a quieter side street, the noise of traffic fading behind us. Kit’s hand was warm in mine, lightly calloused from years of handling weapons and God knows what else during his Greywatch days. The contrast between his rough fingers and gentle touch made me squeeze his hand tightly back.

“So,” he said, glancing at me sideways. “Did your mother give you the usual interrogation about your job this week?”

I groaned. “Worse. She tried to research Barcode and Beyond. Started asking awkward questions about our state-of-the-art cybersecurity protocols.”

Kit’s grip on my hand tightened. “Shit. How much did you tell her?”

“Nothing, obviously. But she’s brilliant, Kit. Scary brilliant. If she keeps digging…” I shook my head. “I had to throw her off the scent somehow… hence the dramatic announcement that I was seeing someone.” I kicked at a loose stone on the pavement. “She looked like I’d just told her I was joining a cult. Which, to be fair, might be easier for her to understand than dating a man, slightly older than me, who I met on an app.”

Kit looked at me. “You told her I was older?”

“She asked.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Does it bother you?”

“Huh?”

“That I’m older.”

I stopped walking, tugging Kit’s hand to pull him to a halt beside me. “Are you serious? Kit, you’re thirty-two, not fifty-two.”