Page 133 of Knot Baked Out For This
I reach up, wipe the ice cream away with my thumb, and his hand catches mine before I can pull back.
"Hazel."
"Yeah?"
"I meant what I said this morning. About never having to go through that again."
"I know."
"Do you?"
I think about three years of cooking for nothing, of being told I was never enough, of shrinking myself down until I almost disappeared. Then I think about these last weeks—Rowan buying me furniture, Luca fixing everything quietly, Levi trying to make me breakfast, and almost burning down my kitchen with love.
"I'm starting to," I admit.
"Good enough for now."
The ride back is less terrifying, probably because I'm sugar-high and distracted by the way Levi keeps reaching back to squeeze my hand at red lights. The death trap motorcycle now feels almost charming, in a "might kill us but at least we'll die happy" way.
When we get back to my apartment, Rowan's truck is already there.
"How was training?" I ask as we climb the stairs, Levi carrying all the bags because apparently that's a rule.
"Boring," Rowan calls from inside. "How was your day off?"
"Levi bought me too many things and fed me radioactive ice cream."
"Sounds about right."
I open the door to find Rowan and Luca on the new couch, watching something on Luca's laptop that they immediately close when we enter.
"What was that?" I ask suspiciously.
"Nothing," they say in unison.
"Very convincing."
"We're naturally convincing people," Luca says.
"You're naturally suspicious people."
"That too."
Ember and the cats have formed some kind of peace treaty that involves everyone ignoring everyone else while secretly wanting to play. Muffin supervises from her perch, judging everyone equally.
"Show us what Levi bought you," Rowan says, and there's something in his tone that suggests he already knows.
"He called you, didn't he?"
"Texted. With photos."
"Of course he did."
"The dress is perfect," Luca adds. "You should wear it to the Halloween thing."
"What Halloween thing?"
They all exchange looks.
