Page 67 of What Happened Last Night

“Make what better?”

He didn’t even know. “You’re late,” I gritted out.

He looked stricken. “How late?”

I didn’t need to check my phone, which was pathetic. “Forty-one minutes. Maybe forty-two by now.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up a little more. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Of course you didn’t mean to,” I shot back. I was still standing in my doorway, blocking his way. “You just forgot that I was sitting here waiting for you. I completely slipped your mind.”

He shook his head, but I’d had time to build up a head of steam, so I kept going.

“And now you think you can show up when it’s convenient for you, and give me something that cost you money, and everything will be fine. Right?”

“No, I—”

“And you expect me to put our dates into your schedule, or otherwise you’d forget about them.”

“Luna, I’m sorry,” Will said again. “The thing I was doing went late, that’s true. Then I stopped to buy brownies. Then I had to talk to your aunt.”

I stopped dead, my anger draining. “What?”

“Your aunt Reggie.”

I peered past his shoulder. Now I realized that Reggie’s apartment was eerily quiet. She hadn’t met Will yet, though of course she’d heard about him from my mother, probably within minutes of Mom almost catching us naked. Since Reggie had supernatural hearing when it came to men’s voices in my apartment, she should have emerged from her apartment by now to get a good look at Will. But she was nowhere to be seen.

That meant she’d already emerged, intercepted my boyfriend, and disappeared again.

“You met Reggie?” I asked, my stomach sinking.

“She met me out front.” Will gestured behind him. “As I came up the walk. She introduced herself and your uncle, and I couldn’t get away. Then she asked me questions. It took a while, because there were a lot of questions.”

Now I felt queasy. My stupid family. “Get in,” I said to Will, a little roughly. I stood aside and grabbed his wrist.

He came into the apartment, closing the door behind him. My eyes dropped to the box he was holding. I was momentarily distracted from the disaster that was the beginning of this date.

“Those are brownies?” I asked.

He held out the box, and I took it.

“Oh,” I said as I looked inside at the chocolate goodness within. “These look really delicious.”

“They’re for dessert,” he said unnecessarily, and I realized he was tense with nerves. “I wanted to bring something, even though you said you’re cooking, but I couldn’t think of what. I can’t have wine because I’m driving, and what if you don’t want me to stay the night? I didn’t want to assume, so I didn’t know what to do. Then I thought of brownies, but I didn’t realize they would make me late.”

I put the box down on the counter. “What did Reggie ask you?”

Will cleared his throat and looked at a point past my shoulder. “Nothing much. Just my life story and the history of my adoption. Whether I’m on any prescription medication. How long you and I have known each other. Whether I want kids.”

“Oh, my god.” My anger had completely evaporated, replaced by embarrassment. I was surprised Will had showed up at all. If he’d turned around and gone home after that, I wouldn’t have blamed him.

A glint of amusement crossed his expression, making him knee-meltingly handsome. “It wasn’t a big deal, really. After I gave her my social security number for a background check, she let me knock on your door. I think that once I send her the full medical and psychiatric workup I’ve promised her, plus the blood and sperm samples, I’ll be golden. Also, I think I’ll be cleared to work at the Pentagon.”

I wasn’t aware I was doing it, but I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my cheek against him. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “My family is horrible. And then I shouted at you.”

His arms came around me, his hand running up and down my back. “I should have texted,” he said. “It won’t happen again.”

“A text would be nice,” I admitted. “But I know you’re busy.”

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