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“How’s my Hell Cat?” he asked.
“Primed to scratch you.”
Aiden laughed. Poppy smiled at him. I shifted and my boot accidentally connected with Aiden’s leg.
“Watch where you park those boats, man,” Aiden said, letting go of Poppy so he could rub his shin.
“You OK, Theo?” Poppy asked, those endless green eyes finally capturing mine.
She hadn’t said it very loud, but Aiden and Cal stared at me like two overprotective mama bears.
“Is there a reason he shouldn’t be?” Aiden asked loud enough for Lauren, Rowan, and Cammie to pause their conversation and look down the table at me.
Poppy narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t tell them?”
“Tell us what?” Cal asked.
“It’s nothing,” I said. “We’re celebrating you tonight.”
“That’s right,” Cal said, crossing his arms over his chest. “And I’d like to know why you’ve looked like you wanted to throw up all evening. I thought maybe you weren’t feeling well.”
“Yeah, I was wondering if he caught the stomach bug going around,” Aiden said. “I’ve already had it, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to sit near him.”
“And no one thought to tell me he looked contagious?” Lauren said beside me. “Is that why you’re over there, Poppy?”
“He’s not contagious. He just got evicted.” Poppy put her hands over her mouth and shot me an apologetic look.
“What?” Cal and Aiden shouted together.
Now Poppy looked like she wanted to throw up.
“It’s OK,” I said. I wished I could take Poppy’s hand to let her know I wasn’t upset at her, but I’d already touched her too much this week for my own good. “Max needs the apartment for someone else.”
“When do you have to move?” Cal asked.
“By the end of the month,” I said.
“The hell you do,” Aiden shouted. “Evictions have rules. He can’t just toss you out.”
“He wants to help a guy,” I said. “Who am I to say no to that? I owe Max everything.”
“You could stay in my guest room,” Cal said.
Aiden shook his head. “You don’t want to stay there. Imagine all the sex noises you’ll hear.”
“Gross, Aiden,” Poppy said, shoving his shoulder. “That’s my sister you’re talking about.”
“You know I’m right, Hell Cat.”
“As much as I hate to agree with him, he probably is,” Lauren added.
Aiden smiled at her and she flipped him the bird, which made Rowan, Poppy, and Cammie all gasp.
“That’s the most un-Lauren thing I’ve ever seen,” Rowan said.
“Back to Theo,” Cal said, redirecting everyone’s attention to me. “Have you started looking at apartments?”
I nodded. “No vacancies anywhere in town. At least not for me. I have appointments at a couple places in Jericho tomorrow, but I have less of a shot there than here.”