Page 27

“Thank you all so much,” I say with a wobbly voice.

Auggie places a hand on my shoulder from where he stands just behind me. “Happy to help.”

“Absolutely. We’re happy to help out.” Logan echoes.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving. Cordelya, the offer is still open. We’ve got the pork chops ready to go. I can get the sides done while Logan cooks the meat. Thirty minutes, and we can have a well-earned meal.”

My first instinct is to say no. The random items out of place, my ankle, and now a flood. Too many things have gone wrong. I should stay home and start doing my usual security checks since I’m in a new apartment. But the open look on Ember's face and Auggie’s steady hand on my shoulder make me feel bold. Safe.

“That sounds great. I’m actually starving.”

Ember positively beams. “Excellent! Logan, let's get going so you can heat the grill,” she says, practically shoving him out the door.

“Jeez, Em, I’m going,” he grumbles with zero heat behind it.

As the door shuts, Auggie's hand slides down my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. “Are you ready to follow?”

“I need to feed the animals, and Minna probably needs to go out.”

Auggie looks around, eyes landing on the leash by the door. “How about I take Minna out front so she can do her business, and you get started on the rest?”

“That would be great,” I say, truly grateful for all his help today.

He grabs the cats’ bowls and their food and sets them in front of me. As he exits the front with Minna, I look around the apartment. Same furniture but in different locations. This apartment is laid out the opposite of the other.

That means new shadows to learn. Unfamiliar exits. New security protocols to plan out.

Before I can spiral, I open the cats’ food and pour it into their bowls. I highly doubt they’ll come out anytime soon. Ember and Logan had to corner them and literally run from the old apartment to this one as they yowled bloody murder. When Auggie laughed, Logan pointed out that he didn’t see Auggie volunteering for cat rescue, which made me laugh.

When Auggie comes back in, he takes Minna off the leash and helps me stand. Together, we get Toby and Buster their leafy greens. Animals fed and seeming to relax, Auggie and I head out the door and climb back into his car. A short ride later, we arrive at a lovely cul-de-sac with three similar-looking two-story houses nestled in it.

As he parks the car, he points to the house in front of us. “This is Ember’s house, and that,” he points to the house to the left, “is Logan’s house. Ember is a real estate agent. When Logan moved to town a few years back, she sold him the house next door, and they became best friends.”

“You’re telling me they're just friends,” I say disbelievingly.

Auggie laughs. “I know, right? Hard to believe, but true.”

“Wow,” is all I can say.

Auggie exits the car and comes over to open my door and help me out once again. My internal swoon meter is off the rails at all his thoughtful actions. This vampire is dangerous to my carefully placed safety protocols.

He guides me up the steps and through the door, which has been left open for us. I cringe slightly at the lack of security. The panic is right there on the surface, but Auggie takes my hand as we navigate through the long narrow hallway to the kitchen, and my fears dull from blaring alarms to a dull beep.

Delicious scents assail me as we reach the kitchen.

“Oh good!” Ember says from where she stands in front of the stove. “Food is just about ready. I must warn you, we didn’t grill with charcoal,” she says with distaste. “Logan insisted on using gas because I’m apparently ‘hangry,’” she says with air quotes and an eyeroll.

“You are hangry, Em,” Logan says as he steps inside from the backdoor. “Lucky for us, food is done.”

Ember sticks her tongue out at him before turning back and motioning us to take a seat at the table near the backdoor. In no time, a platter of grilled pork chops and bowls of salad, french fries, and the sautéed asparagus Ember was cooking on the stove when we arrived are on the table.

Logan and Auggie serve Ember and me, then themselves, and we all tuck in.

“So,” Ember says, “Where are you originally from, Cordelya?”

I nearly drop my fork as I cough on the french fry I was chewing. The safety alarms that had dulled roar back to life. One of my most important rules is never to reveal details of my past. Details like where I’m from. My pulse starts to race, and sweat gathers on the back of my neck.

I clear my throat and take a drink of the wine Ember poured me when we sat down.