Her brows pull together. “What?”
I shrug, attempting to look like I don’t care but probably failing miserably based on how tense my shoulders are. “I like spending time with you and Cami. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age.”
A ghost of a smile crosses her lips. “For my own mental health and sanity, I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
“I wasn’tthatbad.”
“By ten years old, you already had three broken bones, one concussion, and an inability to sit still for longer than ten minutes.”
“That doesn’t mean she will.”
“I sure hope not. My insurance co-pay is already through the roof.” She throws her hands in the air.
I end up laughing, which only makes her lips purse.
“I’m serious!”
“You’re about to be a millionaire once we sell the house. I’m sure you can cover a couple of broken bones after that.”
“Right.” Her elation dies, killed along with the small smile taking form on her face.
“Don’t tell me you’re second-guessing everything. I thought we had an agreement with one another.”
Her frown deepens. “No.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m going to bed.” She turns toward the hall.
“Why are you leaving?” I follow after her.
“I’m tired.” She walks to her bedroom, which is right across from mine.
When Lana goes to reach for the knob, I stop her by grabbing her hand and turning her toward me.
“What did I say?”
She takes a deep breath, making her shoulders rise and fall. “It’s not what you said exactly, but what it reminded me of that bothered me.”
My hand holding on to hers tightens. “What?”
She lifts her other hand in the air and rotates her finger. “That all this has an expiration date.”
My brows scrunch together. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Her face contorts, confusion etching itself into every wrinkle of her forehead. “I don’t know what I want and maybe that’s my problem.” She releases a heavy breath. “I just forgot what it felt like to—” Her sentence dies as she presses her lips together.
“Forgot what it felt like towhat?”
She drops her gaze. “Not feel so damn lonely for once.”
The pressure in my chest builds. “Lana—”
“It sounded even more pathetic when I said it aloud. Just pretend I didn’t say anything.” She tugs her hand free and slips inside her room before I can ask her anything else.
I go to my room and climb into bed. Merlin jumps up on to the mattress and cuddles at the foot of the bed, filling the silence with his steady purr.
I consider what Lana said about her not knowing what she wanted. Of how she didn’t like being reminded that everything has an expiration date.