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“Jesus.” Danny’s disbelieving laugh was drowned partially by the hospital pager. “Who are you and what have you done with my sister?”

“What? Just because I’m willing to admit I’m a little?—”

“Smitten? Obsessed? In lo?—”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I cut them off, stepping out onto the sidewalk. A freezing cold drizzle bit into my clothes and left the pavement slick. “But maybe… soon, yeah.”

There was a pause, and Danny’s voice held distrust as it came again through the phone. “Where are you right now?”

“Headed to get breakfast from the bodega.”

“Alone?”

I smirked at the implication. “Yes, but?—”

“I knew it. The same girl from the other day? Dana? Or did Ren stay over before the game?”

“No, uh…” I hesitated, heat lashing my cheeks. “Just a girl from work.”

It was one thing to tell my sibling about mygirlfriend, or someone they’d seen me with in person, but Elsie… I didn’t even know what we were to be able to explain it.

What I did know was that Elsie wasn’tjustanything. Certainly not just someone I saw and worked with. And while I was at it, none of them were onlya girl from workanyway.

Ren and I were, well,together.

Dana and I were… exploring our connection.

Elsie and I were… Elsie and I. Spending time together when we could. Enjoying that time.

And then Juniper…

Fuck me, I need a day planner.

Or maybe I just needed to get an apartment with space for a king-size bed.

“Uh-huh,justa girl?” Danny teased. “Well… I hope she doesn’t mind you ditching her for me and yourgirlfriend.”

“Something tells me she doesn’t mind at all,” I said honestly. “Pick us up on the way?”

“Yeah. I’ll try not to get pulled into anything too serious at work. I don’t want to miss first pitch.”

We tradedI love yousand hung up as I quickly made my way down the street, regretting forgoing a jacket in the February chill.

The bell of the bodega chimed as I opened the door, stepping into the warm hug of its heated interior, piled to the ceiling with products making up narrow aisles. Careful not to trip over an overturned milk crate with a sleeping tabby curled on top of it, I made my way to the back to order coffees and bagel sandwiches from the ancient, grey-haired vampire who manned the counter. Every time I’d been here, she’d always been working. An eternity spent behind a glass case, listening to a crackling opera pouring from a mistuned radio.

While she prepped our meals, I browsed the drink cooler along the left wall, hunting for a bottled blood supplement for Elsie and a couple of sports drinks for Kaylee and me.

I grabbed them and some extra bottles of orange juice to go with breakfast, careful again not to trip over Kibble on his milk crate as I scooched back to the counter to pay in cash.

When I made it back onto the street, a cardboard tray of coffees in hand and a heavy cellophane bag dangling from my fingers, the rain had let up.

It was going to be a pretty nice day after all.

Elsie’s silvery hair was pulled into a sloppy, messy bun, undone in a way I’d never seen from her before as she tugged on her shoes by the door, a tight expression on her face when I swungthe door wide, my key still stuck in the lock. Damn thing was always getting stuck.

I set the tray of coffees on the entry table, the little plastic bag with our breakfasts hanging from my wrist with the crinkle of plastic.

“Hey, gorgeous,” I called with a smile, my expression faltering at her hurt expression. Confusion pulled my brows together, my hands going up placatingly. “Don’t worry, I made sure to get you a top-up too.”