Chapter 21 #2
“I need to go. My brother is running errands with me today, and he’s waiting in the truck.” I take a few steps backward, preparing to leave. “But I’ll see you this Saturday, right?”
“I’ll be there.”
We say our goodbyes, and I hurry back to my truck. I’m halfway down the walk when Sam calls, “Piper, hold up.”
I turn back, waiting as he jogs over to me.
He gives me a nervous smile. “This is kind of random, but are you free sometime this weekend? Maybe we could grab dinner or something?”
Crap. Olivia was right.
“Oh,” I say, not wanting to hurt his feelings. It’s especially tricky when he’s a customer. “I have a boyfriend.”
Yesterday, it wouldn’t have been a lie. I don’t know if it is today, but either way, I won’t go out with anyone else.
Sam’s eyes widen. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…” He clears his throat and looks down at my left hand. “I did check for a ring, but…”
“No worries.”
He gives me a sheepish smile. “He’s a lucky guy.”
“I’ll be sure to let him know,” I say, attempting a joke even though my heart isn’t into it.
“Guys need to be reminded every once in a while.”
Smiling even though it’s uncomfortable, I turn toward the truck, ready to escape.
“That sounded super awkward,” Max says when I get in, looking bored as he scrolls his phone. His window is cracked, so he heard the exchange.
He’s my official NIHA-appointed watchdog right now, as Noah had to go into the office and Cassian is dealing with prince stuff this morning.
“It was,” I assure him, turning up the AC. “How weird is it that you’re getting paid to hang out with me right now?”
“Beats doing oil changes.”
“You haven’t done oil changes since you were fresh out of high school.”
He grins. “You don’t talk car. I was trying to keep it simple for you.”
I roll my eyes at him and drive back to the house. When we get there, I see the Lamborghini parked out front.
“Your replacement is here.” I drive around the side of the house. “Looks like you’re free.”
“Cool.” Max hops out and walks toward his truck. “I’m gonna head back to the office. I’m meeting Hillary for lunch at noon, and then I have to take her to a few yearly appointments.”
“Even though she’s been a pre-vamp for twenty years, she still has to deal with a conservator?”
“Nah, she just likes the company.”
“So basically…she’s training you?”
He chuckles as he gets into his truck. “Pretty much.”
Max drives away as I walk around the house. Usually, I like it better when Noah works from home, but today, I need to talk to Cassian alone.
Since he doesn’t have a key to the house, my conservator waits for me in his car. He sits with his head resting back, eyes closed, with earbuds in. Fully engrossed in whatever he’s listening to, he jerks to face me when I knock on the window.
“I didn’t see you pull in,” he says when he opens the door.
“I gathered that, since you just about jumped out of your skin. How long have you been waiting?”
“Only about fifteen minutes. I saw you were headed this way, so I waited.”
“You saw? Are you stalking me now?”
“You added me to your circle,” he reminds me as he steps out of the car. “So…yes.”
“That’s okay. As stalkers go, you’re all right.”
“You would know.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” I head up the porch steps and then let us into the house. “I was worried I might find my parents cleaning out Noah’s room.”
“Your father is rather intense, isn’t he?” Cassian says as he heads to the kitchen.
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Have you talked to them this morning?” He pulls Noah’s bottle of bison blood from the fridge, sets it on the counter, and looks for a glass.
“Yeah, my mom called to make sure Noah didn’t attack me in the middle of the night.
” I lean against the counter, cross my arms, and watch Cassian move around the kitchen.
“I don’t know what to do. They forbid me from dating Noah, and Dad said he has to move out.
I’m prepared to stand our ground, but Noah doesn’t want to disrespect them. ”
“That sounds like Noah.”
“But he can’t move out, not after Larissa said she saw someone hanging around the house. I’m not comfortable living here alone—not until we figure that out.”
Cassian nods, looking thoughtful. “I suppose I could move in?”
“No offense, but I don’t think my parents would be happy about that either.”
“You need a female bodyguard.”
“Yeah, no. I’m happy with the two I have.”
“Do I know a female bodyguard?” he muses, ignoring me.
“You took a left turn down a road I don’t want to travel.”
But it’s too late—I can tell he’s already pulled someone from his memory bank. His eyes light, and he looks like the Cheshire Cat with a plan.
“Cassian, I don’t want some random stranger moving in with me, okay? Can I be honest with you? I only allowed Noah in here because he’s hot.”
“This isn’t a random stranger.”
I cross my arms. “Who is it?”
But Cassian only shrugs and wanders into the other room.
“Yes, Mom, Noah is moving out tonight,” I say into my phone as I close the kitchen blinds now that it’s dark, trying to keep my tone even.
“I know it’s hard, but I really think this is for the best,” Mom says.
“I know you do.”
“Piper,” she warns.
I decided not to tell them someone’s been hanging around the house.
Yes, maybe I could have used it as a reason to keep Noah here, but there’s a better chance they would have abducted me and drove halfway across the country, hanging garlic around my neck and hiding me away from all suspicious vampires.
And no one has time for that.
Noah got home from work late, so we’ve barely had a chance to talk. He’s currently in the guest room, packing up.
Again.
And I’m not happy.
Max is going to stay here tonight, but that’s only a short-term solution. I don’t know what we’re going to do.
“Just know if I get kidnapped, it’s on you,” I mutter into the phone, unable to help myself.
“I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”
“Nothing. I gotta go. The doorbell just rang.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow, all right?”
“Yep.” I hang up the phone and meet Cassian just before he answers the door. “It’s late. Are you expecting someone?”
“Your new roommate.”
“Cassian!” I hiss, trying to keep my voice quiet so whoever is on the other side won’t hear me through the door. “That’s the sort of thing you need to run by me first.”
He brushes my concern away like it’s a stray piece of lint. “It’s fine.”
And then he opens the door.
Sophia stands on the welcome mat like a petite prom queen in white shorts and a cotton candy blouse, the handle to a pink-wheeled suitcase in her hand. She grins, and in her soft southern accent, she says, “I heard you need a bodyguard?”