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He nodded. "Understood."
"The only reason you're here is because you obviously know things that we need to know to get—" I hesitated, unable to make myself say Lilin's name. "To get me back to normal. But I don't like it, and right now, I'm not too fond of you either."
Something in my stomach twisted a little at the words, as though my body was physically protesting my declaration. I pushed the sensation away and reached for my bag. "You get the floor," I said pointedly, jerking my chin in the direction of the small area of carpet between the bed and the window. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to join Theo in the shower."
Something flared in Luca's expression—something that wasn't quite anger and wasn't quite jealousy, quickly extinguished. I expected him to protest, or even to declare that he would just get his own room, but he didn't. Instead, he nodded again and turned away, seeming not to notice when I gathered my pajamas and opened the bathroom door.
"I'm here," I announced, flipping the bathroom door lock and dumping my pajamas into the sink.
Theo stuck his head around the shower curtain, eyebrows raised. "Uh, hi," he said. "Everything okay?"
I gave him a look, at which he cringed.
"Never mind," he added. "Coming in?"
I was already stripping off my clothing. "Yes," I said, "and no funny business. I'm a very tired haunted person."
"No problem," he said quickly. "Perfect gentleman. I won't even look."
I rolled my eyes as I climbed in. "You say that now."
The stall was tiny, and the shower head barely reached Theo's forehead, but the water was hot and at last I could start to rinse this horrible day off my skin. Theo moved over obligingly, and true to his word, he pressed himself so closely against the wall that the shower spray hardly touched him at all.
"I mean, you don't have to—" Blinking as water streamed into my eyes, I reached out and took his shoulder.
"What happened to no funny business?" he said, chuckling.
"Not like that, jerk," I mumbled, pulling him toward me. "I just—"
I wrapped my arms around his waist and put my forehead against his collarbone. Though his bare skin was flush with mine, though I was aware of every angle and muscled ridge of him, all I felt was sweet, exhausted comfort. The water ran down our bodies, steam rising around us. It seemed as though we were in our own little cocoon: safe and secure, with no demons or angels or terrifying lore hanging over our heads like an executioner's axe.
"Can we just…” I said, sighing against him. "Can we just stay here? Forever?"
His hand cradled my head, stroking my wet hair. "You'd have to give up Pringles," he said, his voice lightly teasing. "And eyeliner."
I snuffled, a half-laugh, half-sob. "It'd be worth it."
"Nah." He rubbed my earlobe lightly between his thumb and forefinger. "That's not the River I know."
"I don't want to do this," I said, shuddering. I tightened my arms around his waist.
"But we have to," he said gently.
"I could just learn to live with her," I said, tipping my head up toward him. "I mean, red's always looked good on me. And it worked for Luca."
I expected Theo to scowl, to chastise me for my bleak humor, but he didn't. His expression was soft as he reached up to cup my face. "Do you really want that?" he asked, his fingertips tracing my jawline. "To give up half of who you are?"
"Maybe if she stops throwing me off waterfalls," I said, still trying for levity.
He shook his head. "I'm being serious, River. Would you want that for yourself?" He paused. "For us?"
Something in me flared and tempered, like red-hot steel being plunged into water. "No."
"Then…” He reached around me and turned the water off. "We work with Luca. We find out what Julian knows. And we get this thing out of you."
I nodded. "Okay," I said. "Yes. Okay."
He reached for a towel and draped it around my shoulders. "But first," he said, "we sleep."
