Phoenix's head whips toward me. "What? Where?"
"In the bathroom."
Dead silence.
Rafael turns his head around like an owl to stare at me. "I'm sorry,what?"
"I went to piss, and Rex was just… there. He even checked the stalls. For my stalker."
"He followed you into thebathroom?" Phoenix sounds like he's not sure whether to be angry or impressed. "How did we not see him?"
"Apparently you're terrible at surveillance." I'm definitely laughing now, the ridiculousness of it hitting me all at once.
Rafael catches my eye in the rearview mirror again. "And you're... okay with this?"
"I mean, it's weird as fuck." I settle back against the seat, still grinning. "But it's also kind of funny. I can kind of see why his abominable cake chibi was a knight in shining armor."
Phoenix and Rafael exchange one of their looks.
"He's been weird lately," Phoenix says finally. "Weirder than usual, I mean."
"Understatement of the century," Rafael mutters. "The guy's been avoiding everyone like we've all got the plague. Barely eats, barely sleeps, spends all his time at the studio doing gods know what."
"He took the plate I made him," I offer. "Last night. That's something."
“You’re going soft,” Phoenix teases.
"Can't have my blackmailer passing out from malnutrition. Who knows what would happen then?"
Rafael snorts. "Sure. That was all strategy."
"Itwas."
"Whatever you say."
We drive in comfortable silence for a few blocks, the windshield wipers keeping time with the radio. Phoenix's thigh is still pressed against mine from when he squeezed into the back. Rafael's fingers tap the steering wheel in a rhythm I'm starting to recognize as one of our new songs.
It's… nice. Weirdly domestic, actually. Like we're just three people who fit together, instead of a mess of scent matches and secrets and stalkers and... whatever the hell is going on with Rex.
Alsomy scent match.
That's still fucking with my head.
"You guys want to grab lunch?" Phoenix asks suddenly. "I'm starving, and there's no way that artisanal sadness coffee is holding anyone over."
"I could eat," Raf starts. "I?—"
Phoenix lunges and points to a Thai restaurant on the corner, the one I'm pretty sure sustains both his and Raf's life forces. "There! Pull over!"
Rafael yanks the steering wheel hard enough to make the tires squeal. I tumble sideways against Phoenix and my elbow nails him in the gut. He wheezes. I strangle on my seat belt. Raf hits the curb stealing a parking spot.
We all laugh our fucking asses off.
My life may be an absolute disaster, but at least right now, it doesn't feel like abaddisaster.
CHAPTER 4
RAFAEL