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And that was new.

She sat on one of the other kitchen stools, her bare feet swinging above the ground, her hands cradling her cup of coffee between both of her hands.

“It was the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had, I think.” She laughed, her voice a little rough.

Her eyes were still heavy with sleep, her curls somehow twisted into what once must have been a French braid. Her pajamas, a simple T-shirt with cotton pants, were still a little rumpled from sleep, and she looked adorable.

I cleared my throat.

“I’m glad,” I forced out, shoving my thoughts to the back of my head. “I was worried you might be uncomfortable.”

Mia frowned at me. “Is there anywhere in this mansion that youcouldbe uncomfortable?” she asked, her voice serious enough that I thought she may not have been kidding.

“Well, the main living room isn’t all that great, to be honest,” I mused and Mia scoffed, a small grin on her lips.

“It was a joke, Reid.” She chuckled.

“I figured as much.”

“Are we heading to the office together?” Mia asked.

I glanced back at her. “Why not?” I shrugged. “There’s no point taking separate cars if we’re coming back here afterward. Unless you have plans?”

Mia shook her head and the tiniest part of me was relieved but I refused to focus on it for more than a second.

“What time are you going in?” she asked.

“I guess I’ll have to go in at the same time as you now, won’t I?”

“Ah.” She chuckled. “Revenge.”

It was strange.

But not unpleasant.

Mia and I quickly fell into a comfortable routine, each of us going about our work without missing a step despite the massive secret lingering between us.

And maybe it was nice coming home to a house that wasn’t entirely empty.

It wasn’t as if we spent every minute in each other’s presence, but the knowledge that she was there, upstairs in her room or raiding the refrigerator for snacks she insisted on buying herself was a lot more calming than I thought it’d be.

After dinner one evening, we both lingered at the long dining table, enjoying the last few sips of wine before we went our separate ways for the night.

“I still haven’t told my family,” Mia admitted suddenly.

I set my glass down on the table and looked at her. “Do you plan on telling them?”

I didn’t know much about Mia’s relationship with her family apart from the fact that she sent large sums of money back home to support them and was putting her sister through college at the same time.

She shook her head with a sad smile. “I wouldn’t tell my mom.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinking about telling my sister because I can’t think of some other lie that would miraculously fix my visa problems. But she can’t keep a secret to save her life and it’s bound to get back to Mom.”

“Keeping this kind of secret can take a lot out of you,” I said. “I have Alex, at least. And even though she grinds on every one of my frayed nerves, I’m grateful for that. Maybe telling your sister will help you feel a little more settled about the situation.”

She stared at her wine, her expression turning pensive.

“I’ll think about it,” she said eventually.

“Okay,” I said with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”