Page 16 of Cleo

My sisters knew? I would ask them, but for now, I wanted to stay in the moment anyway. “So where is this close place?”

“It’s an Argentinian steak house,” Miles answered. “Have you been to one before?”

I had barely heard of Argentina because Angie was not great at geography. But there was no need to show that much of my ignorance. I could honestly reply, “No, I haven’t. What makes them special?”

When we pulled up in front of the restaurant, my dates were still waxing enthusiastic about all the things that made the food there great, but I was still not prepared for how amazing it was. The steaks were marinated then cooked over an open fire, and the smell was incredible when we walked in the door.

I was amazed at how comfortable I was with these three, considering my lack of experience in the dating world. While our food was grilled right in front of us, they entertained me with stories about the school and their lives at home. It was a window into worlds I wanted to hear more about, and I enjoyed the conversation as much as the food.

Which was the best I’d ever eaten.

And I ate way too much of it, joking that I was going to bust right out of the leather pants lent to me by my sisters. We rode home in the same car, so they must have booked it for the wholeevening. Back at school, they escorted me to my door, each kissing me on the lips sweetly then waiting while I unlocked my door.

“Are your sisters still hiding in the bathroom?” Pax asked.

I was so shocked, I burst into laughter. “They were trying to be so sneaky after helping me get ready. All of this”—I waved at myself from head to toe—“is their work.”

“You are beautiful always,” he said. “But it’s nice to see you getting to spend time with them. It’s hard to believe you were kept apart all your lives.”

I felt the same way.

Chapter Sixteen

Finishing off my very first piece of chocolate pie ever, I intended to get some more studying in before the night was over. I had a shifter biology test coming up and while I disagreed with some of the material, especially a statement that we could only morph into one figure, two at the most, my job here wasn’t to voice my opinions or start up a debate.

I needed to study the material given and get good grades on the test. Show my gratitude for my scholarship, the chance I’d been given to learn and grow.

“Hey, Cleo, we’ve been looking for you,” Minx called out from across the dining hall. Ava and Kiki were walking on either side of her and I smiled. “What’s funny?” she asked, after they reached me.

“You three look likeCharlie’s Angelscoming in here,” I laughed. Angie had been excited to share that show with me.

Kiki laughed. “Oh my goodness. I saw that in the group home one time. We are totallyCharlie’s Angelsbut with four of us now.”

Ava nodded to my backpack. “Get your bag. We’re kidnapping you.”

They must’ve been joking or playing a trick, but my insides knotted all the same. “Huh?”

I swear, I sounded so smart sometimes. Father would’ve been proud.

“We are taking you shopping.” Ava put her palms out before I could argue. “The shopping is our gift to you. Our big sister needs some new clothes and shoes and whatever else we see fit. Let’s go. We have to be back before curfew and before our mates start throwing fits. They are all gathered up in Minx’s suiteplaying poker or watching fast and terrible car movies. I don’t remember which. Move your asses, girls.”

Kiki grabbed me by the elbow and in minutes, we were out of the school and on the streets, among the humans. A car pulled up. Minx confirmed some details with her phone and we got in. With a stranger. A very human stranger. Sure, I’d been in a car with the guys, but it was a different kind of vehicle. And with them, I didn’t think anyone would try anything. My sisters were very beautiful women.

“Is this safe?” I asked, squished into the compact car between Kiki’s dancing and Minx tapping letters on her phone. All the kids did that. In class. During meals. In the library. In the hallways, bumping into each other. I was sure I was the only young person in existence who didn’t have one. And even if I did, I wouldn’t know what to do with the damned thing.

“Of course. It’s an Uber,” Ava said.

“A goober?” I called back, since the music was so loud. How could the driver concentrate with such loud music.

All three of my sisters cracked up. “Not a goober. An Uber. I’m sorry.” Minx touched my hand and stuffed her phone in her back pocket. “I forgot you don’t know a lot about the world. An Uber is a car ride service. They send me the details on my phone so I can make sure we’re getting in with the correct driver.”

“It’s free?” I asked, taking in the sights as we drove. The driver met my gaze in the rearview mirror.

“No. Not free. We pay him after the ride is over. Which is right now.”

We got out and after Minx pushed some buttons on her phone, she claimed the driver was paid and he would come back in a couple of hours to pick us up.

We walked into a large building with more humans than I’d ever seen in my life. “It’s a shopping center. They haveeverything here. It’s time you get some new clothes and start looking like the fourth angel.”

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