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“What?”

“You don’t get like this about scenes.”

I exhaled slowly. “This isn’t a scene.”

Sam glanced over. “No,” he agreed. “It isn’t.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “He’s meeting you lot.”

Jess laughed. “We’re not the scary ones.”

“Oh God, you absolutely are,” I retorted.

Maya leaned against the door frame. “You’ve already told us he’s terrifying.”

“I think what I actually said was ‘impressive’.” I narrowed my gaze. “And shouldn’t you be in the kitchen, making sure nothing burns to a crisp?”

“You also said he’s the most deliberate person you’ve ever met,” Sam added.

“That’s not the same thing.”

Sam raised his eyebrows. “And yet he’s coming here for dinner.”

That was the bit that kept looping in my head.

Max liked structure. He lived by rules. He didn’t let people get too close.

And he was voluntarily walking into our slightly chaotic house for dinner.

Jess watched me for a moment. “This is serious, isn’t it?”

I hesitated. “Maybe.”

That tasted like a lie.

Sam nodded. “Good to know.” His eyes sparkled. “Now I’m really going to pay attention.”

I groaned.

“Is he hot?”

I gaped at Maya. “What?”

Jess groaned. “That’s not important.”

Maya grinned, her arms folded. “I think it is.”

“He’s… very put together,” I said.

Three heads snapped toward me, and Sam grinned. “Oh, he’s hot.”

“I did not say that.”

“You didn’t need to.”

Jess raised a finger. “Question.”

“That sounds ominous.”