Page 21 of Heat Transfer
“You’re jailbreaking this joint soon, right?” I asked Dad.
“Yeah, just waiting for the nurse to come back. Not much I can do but take it easy on my arm until it heals.”
“Right.” I dropped my arm from around Felix’s waist, which had felt so comfortable there I’d forgotten I was holding him. Instead, I threaded my fingers through his and gave him a slight tug toward the door. Adrenaline shot through me at the easy touch between us, and as long as we were maintaining thisfacade, I would enjoy every second. “Let’s all get out of here and head to Red Square Diner. The nurse isn’t going to have room for shit if we’re crowding the place.”
“Iamstarving.” Rory jumped up.
“When are you not?” Aislin shot back. “But it’s not a bad idea. Want us to order you some food for when you guys get out?” she asked Mom and Dad.
“That’d be perfect.” Mom offered us both grateful glances, and my chest warmed.
“See you all,” I said. “Glad you’re okay, Dad.” I yanked Felix out into the hall before we got dragged into any more of my family’s nonsense. Their continued bickering echoed even here.
“You sure you don’t want to spend more time with your family?” Felix teased. “Your siblings seemed to have questions.”
“You’ll get to deal with them plenty at the diner,” I muttered, wishing I’d gone home instead. “We don’t have to keep pretending with my siblings though.”
Felix’s dark eyes flashed. “Oh no, this is way too much fun.”
I was so fucked.
I was pretty sure hell looked like Red Square Diner with all my siblings crammed into it.
And Felix, but he was the only thing keeping me from bolting out the door.
We’d gotten there first, but we’d barely been able to exchange a few words before Ollie and Liam showed up, and Ollie was in full eyebrow waggle mode over just about everything. Then Declan arrived, and even though we’d been here an hour, he’d just finished rearranging the ketchup bottle and sugar packet display to the way he liked it. Rory and Aislin sat next to each other, which was the goddamn worst plan because they hadn’tstopped shoving each other like they were five, not in their twenties.
“I don’t see how asking who’s topping and bottoming is an issue.” Rory threw his unwanted attention my way again. “I have no problem telling you about my slutty bottom life.”
“Even though we wish you wouldn’t,” Declan said.
“You just wish you got laid as much as me,” Rory bragged, and Felix snorted.
“I really don’t.” Declan crossed his arms. “I hook up as often as I need to, and dating has been insufferable.”
“If your ass is anything like your mouth, you’re probably insatiable.” Aislin rolled her eyes.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ollie tossed a fry at Rory. “You don’t shut up. Speaking of insatiable—”
Liam clapped a hand over Ollie’s mouth. “Nuh-uh. You’re not going to share with the class.”
“See.” I jabbed Felix in the side. “This is what you’re stuck dealing with.”
He passed me an amused glance, his eyes glittering. “If you think that scares me, you’re wrong,mi corazon.”
My heart thudded hard. At the hospital and here, he took my family in stride in a way no one else I’d dated had managed. And we weren’t even dating. If anything solidified how perfect he was for me, that did.
“How about sharing with the family?” Rory kicked me under the table. “I notice you never answered my question.”
“Mmm, my answer is ‘fuck off.’” I lifted my middle finger. “Eat your damn cheesesteak.”
“I’d say we’re not normally this extra, but that’d be a bold-faced lie,” Aislin said to Felix.
“Or bald-faced lie,” Declan said. “Although, barefaced, if you want to take it to the early nineteenth century.”
“No one wants to take it to the early nineteenth century,” Liam said.