Page 17 of Vampires and Violas

Cassian: On our way. I got your text about dinner. Do you need me to drop by the grocery store?

Piper: Nope. I bought meat for you carnivores when I was done with my stops.

Cassian and I don’t eat together every day, but it’s not a rare occasion either. For being a well-connected, ancient vampire,he’s a bit of a homebody. And for unknown reasons, he seems to likemyhome. He’s here constantly. But the company has been nice. Being friends with Cassian is like having a house cat.

Fifteen minutes later, Olivia arrives. When I meet her at the front door, she pushes the plate of brownies into my hands and dramatically says, “Get them away from me. I’m feeling weak.”

“How long is this sugar fast again?”

“It’s alifestyle, Piper,” my best friend says with mock patience. Her shoulder-length hair is naturally strawberry blonde, but it’s leaning closer to rose gold these days thanks to her monthly trips to a local salon. It suits her, making her look like a sophisticated city pixie instead of the meadow elf she resembled when we were young.

She’s pretty and healthy, and I don’t like her stressing over food so much.

“Do you really want to live a life where you can’t eat your mom’s brownies?” I ask her.

“No. But I’d like things that aren’t supposed to jiggle to stop jiggling.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Max walks up the porch steps, making Olivia peep with horror when she realizes Cassian is with him.

Cassian gives Olivia a wolfish smile, and then he passes us, heading into the kitchen. “I’m not.”

Max scowls at the vampire, and then he shakes his head and turns his attention back to me. “How’d your deliveries go?”

“Fine. How was your hike?”

“Good.”

“Did you?—”

I’m cut off when Max’s cell phone rings. He looks at the screen and answers immediately, grinning like a lovesick puppy. “Hey, Emma. What can I—” He frowns. “Are you sure? I swear Ichecked all the boxes… Yeah, sorry. I’m at my sister’s place. I’ll head right over and fix it.”

Olivia watches him with a pinched expression, crossing her arms. “Whatever it is, can’t you do it in the morning?”

Ignoring her, Max looks at me, still talking into the phone. “I don’t think Piper will care if you stop by…?”

“It’s fine.” I turn away, carrying the brownies. “She can stay for dinner if she wants.”

Leaving Max to his conversation, Olivia follows me into the kitchen and demands, “Who’s Emma?”

“She’s the receptionist at NIHA.”

“And why does she need to contact Max after work hours?”

“Probably because he messed up his W-4 again,” Cassian answers for me, joining the conversation as he helps himself to the open carton of beef broth in the fridge. “We stopped by the administration office after our hike so he could fix it. Apparently, he failed.”

“I don’t see why he can’t take care of it tomorrow,” Olivia responds. “Wasn’t today supposed to be his day off?”

“Perhaps he’d like to get paid,” Cassian says wryly.

Olivia rolls her eyes and then pours herself a glass of water. Cassian raises his eyebrows as he takes a long sip of his disgusting iced beverage, silently asking what she’s being huffy about.

Though I have my suspicions, I only shrug and set down the brownies.

“Where’s Noah?” he asks.

“He went upstairs as soon as he got home.”

“So, he’s hiding?”

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