Page 118 of His Reckoning

My head snaps up. “No.”

Too fast.

Melissa’s eyes narrow slightly. “Interesting.”

“What’s interesting?”

“The way you answered that.”

“I answered a question.”

“You answered it like someone who just got caught doing something.”

I roll my eyes and grab one of the pastries from the bag. “You’re being dramatic.”

She studies me while I aggressively unwrap the paper.

“So, how’s living with Sawyer going?”

My entire body tenses. “He’s insufferable.”

Melissa smiles slowly. “Oh, this just got good.”

“He’s arrogant,” I continue, pointing the pastry at her. “Completely convinced he’s right about everything.”

“And?”

“And he thinks he’s somehow responsible for my writing again.”

Melissa tilts her head. “That sounds like something Sawyer would think.”

“He genuinely believes he’s become some kind of creative necessity.”

Melissa laughs. “I mean … you do argue with him constantly. Maybe that inspires you.”

“It does not.”

She studies me carefully again, and then her smile starts creeping back. “You’re flustered.”

“I am not.”

“You’re extremely rattled.”

I glare at her. “I am annoyed. Those are different things.”

Melissa leans forward slightly. “Okay,” she says. “What went down? Give me the details.”

“Nothing happened.”

Her eyes flick down briefly before they move back up to my face.

She snorts. “Oh my God.”

“What?”

“You slept with Sawyer.”

I nearly choke on my coffee. “What?! No!”