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Chocolate and rice.

Berries and potatoes.

Orzo’s head cranks towards me. “She wants us all. The three of us. And so be it.”

“I hardly know her.” It’s an excuse, one that burns on the way out. “She is too young. She was there when Maple died. I can’t possibly…”

Orzo narrows his eyes. “You’re drawn to her. Just as I am. Aren’t you?”

“I—”

He gets up from the bed abruptly and stares me down. “Cut the bullshit. You have been wandering around like a lost and beaten animal for too long. Move on,” he clips. “And if you can’t? Get the fuck out of her life. She needs a solid foundation, not some wishy-washy old man.”

The thought of leaving circulates.

I should.

My eyes flash to Cinnamon’s face. She’s beautiful.

She’s chaotic.

She’s a lantern in a mine shaft. A ladder in a ravine. Leading me to an escape I never thought possible.

“I—I need to speak to the Barleys. We can’t kill Kale.”

“Unfortunately not.” Orzo rolls his eyes, sitting back on the bed. He leans forward, tucking her unruly scarlet hair behind her ears. Offering a gentle kiss to her forehead.

The bloodthirsty monster has transformed into…a gentle man. And the image of it is a shock I can’t come to terms with.

Like I am living in the topsy-turvy, a dream I am going to startle awake from.

Except I want more than anything to not wake up from this. For Cinnamon to remain in our lives.

She is a glue I never knew I was looking for.

“Tomorrow, I will call a meeting with the Barleys. You will need to be there,” I tell him.

His eyes flash to me. “I don’t want to leave her side.”

“It will be just upstairs.”

He narrows his eyes. “I will be in that room away from her for ten minutes. Not a second longer.”

Part of me thinks that is my queue to leave, but I ignore it.

Instead I circle around the bed, sitting over the covers on the bed next to Cinnamon. Not touching her, just in her vicinity.

Twenty minutes later Kale joins us, taking up a spot on the floor, his back against the door.

“Olive will bring Beanie over in the morning. She said Cinnamon’s aunt is worried about her and that we need to get her a new phone.”

“I’ll get one for her,” Orzo agrees easily. “I need to make sure it is secure and—”

“Trackable.” Kale laughs softly. “The rumors truly didn’t do justice on how much of a psycho you are.”

And to my shock, Orzo smiles glancing back at Kale. “Anything for our girl.”

Our girl.