Page 41 of Nothing More

Cass turned around and pressed her back to the counter, arms folding. Raven noted her in her periphery, and had a second’s warning to clock the smirk she wore, its uncanny resemblance to one of Tommy’s smartarse looks when he thought he knew something you didn’t. Before Raven could saywhat, Cassandra drawled, “Sooooo…”

This didn’t bode well.

Cass leaned in, stage-whispering more than actually-whispering. “When are you going to ask him out?”

“What? Who? Keep your voice down,” Raven hissed.

Cassandra hissed back.

“I’m serious.” Raven could feel the heat blooming in her face; butterflies welled in her stomach. “I don’t knowwhatyou’re talking about, so don’t say anything ridiculous.”

“Ugh.Come on. Being in the same room with the two of you is like watching a really cringey romance movie. All the staring.” She pointed to her own eyes, and then an imaginary person standing across from her. Made a dramatic swoony face. “The longing.”

“Cassandra.”

“What?” She turned to face her. “You know you’re doing it.”

“I most certainly am not doingit– or anything. And I don’t even know who you’re talking about, besides.”

“Pfffft. You’re a terrible liar.” She glanced pointedly toward the living room. Sighed – more than a little wistfully, Raven thought.Hi, Toly, she said each afternoon when she arrived at the office, fingers laced, posture tense and bouncy in a way that was hopelessly teenage and hopelessly smitten, just as she’d been with Reese. Raven knew a moment’s pang of guilt, and then ruthlessly shoved it away. Cass was only seventeen, unworldly, and a man like that was the last thing she needed.

The last thing Raven needed, probably…so why was the back of her neck hot, her chest unsteady with nerves?

“I don’t blame you,” Cass said, and, yes, that was definitely a note of wistfulness. “He’s gorgeous. The hair, the mean look, the–”

“Alright, that’s quite enough from you, young lady. Don’t go getting a taste for bad boys.”

Cassandra snorted and turned back to her, smirking again. “I’ve grown up in this family. Did you think I was going to have a taste for valedictorians?”

“Ugh.” Raven reached to flick her in the middle of the forehead with a soapy finger.

“Hey!”

“Stop growing up, you. I don’t like it.” She turned back to scrubbing. “And stop making wild assumptions aboutmytastes in men.”

“Uh-huh. Wild. Yeah. If only there was a square-headed businessman whose arms you could fall into.”

Raven blew soap bubbles at her and she skipped away, laughing.

Her words plagued her, though, as she finished up with the cast iron pan.Hadshe been that obvious? Had they both?

She’d never been shameless before, and didn’t like the thought of becoming so now. Especially over a man. Especially over a man who was both a Lean Dog,anda former mobster.

When she’d finished with the pans and put them away, she tackled the countertops and stovetop. They had Cloroxed the island before Toly started cooking, but now she got out the marble polish and rag from beneath the sink, and set to making everything shine. The physical exertion felt good, after a day of sitting and standing and walking only short distances. She leaned into the small, quick circles, and gave herself a stern talking-to about Russian bikers with dark eyes and tiny, unfathomable smirks. A little personal danger was no excuse for abandoning common sense and propriety.

When the counters were done, she moved on to the fridge, microwave, and trash can with the Pledge. Then she noticed the cabinets looked a little dull, and it was on to the orange oil. The faucet needed polishing, after that, and one of the bulbs in the pendant was a little dim come to think of it.

She turned, rag in one hand, sponge in the other, and…

Toly stood directly in front of her, arms folded, head angled in a way that seemed like a reprimand.

She startled hard. Dropped the sponge, threw the rag on pure reflex – he caught it easily, one-handed – and let out a sound so embarrassing that she immediately clapped both empty hands over her mouth to squelch it.

“No,” he said, flatly, “you’re notscaredat all.”

“Shut up, you did that on purpose.”

His brows lifted, slightly. “I called your name five times.”