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“What are we doing here?” I asked.

“We’re eating,” she said.

“I ate during the movie, and I had a sandwich before,” I protested.

“You had three handfuls of popcorn and a cheese cube during the movie, Sloane. That’s not a meal.” She pulled into the drive-through lane. “Honestly, you and Hudson are absolutely made for each other.”

“Please don’t romanticize my nutritional negligence,” I warned.

We ordered burgers, fries, and a chocolate shake that Patty insisted we share to save money, only for her to immediately order a second one for herself after taking the first sip. When we parked under a tall light at the back of the lot, the tension of the evening vanished as we ate.

I told her about the forty-six-year-old “silver fox” entrepreneur my parents had tried to set me up with.

“He called you a talented young lady?” she asked, her mouth full of fries. “And he’s married? That should be a federal offense. He deserves to be exiled immediately.”

“He wanted to pick my brain over drinks,” I added.

“Bring back medieval dungeons,” she declared, dipping a fry in her shake. “Have you ever had any serious relationships?”

“Not many,” I said. “Two, depending on how we define serious.”

“I define it by whether they had the misfortune of meeting your parents.”

“Then no. I’ve never allowed myself to get super close to anyone. Definitely not close enough to introduce them to my parents.”

Patty frowned. “That’s surprising. I thought for sure you’d have at least one or two serious relationships in your past.”

“I know,” I whispered, staring at the grease on my burger wrapper. “I think my parents really messed with my head. They made everything feel so conditional. I always felt like I had to achieve some perfect version of myself before I was allowed to simply exist.”

“That sounds incredibly exhausting,” she said.

“It was. And sometimes I think no decent guy will ever want to deal with all of this. The anxiety, the avoidance, the fact that I’m twenty-six and barely able to pay my rent.”

“And the lying to supernatural families?” she teased gently.

“Yes, that too.”

“Sloane, any guy worth your time would be incredibly lucky to have you,” she said, her tone completely earnest. “And honestly, Hudson already likes the anxiety, the avoidance, and the late rent payments.”

“He doesn’t know about the rent, or that I’m human.”

She smirked. “Those are minor details.”

We stayed in the parking lot for another hour, talking about everything from terrible high-school dates to her art business.

Eventually, Patty checked the time and sighed. “We should get back,” she said, shifting the car into gear.

Nerves fluttered in my stomach, but they felt manageable now that I wasn’t carrying the weight alone. “What do I do when we get there?”

“Just act completely normal,” she said. “And give Hudson the food we’re about to buy him.”

“I’m pretty sure I saw him eat earlier.”

“Shifters burn through calories just by breathing, Sloane. Trust me, he’ll eat it.”

I stared out the window as Patty ordered food for Hudson. “Okay. I’ll give him the food. And then what?”

Patty shot me a wicked grin as she got back on the highway. “Dealer’s choice, friend. Just promise me you won’t confess your humanity tonight. I want to enjoy this drama for at least one more week.”