Chapter 21: Pick-Me Energy

  It had been almost three weeks since Micah moved in with Noah, and life was still complicated in practically every way. Noah had made adjustments — some small, some ridiculous — to accommodate the werewolf boy who had barged into his life and rearranged it without permission.

  For example:

  Noah was no longer allowed to work on Sundays.

  Micah had made that very clear.

  Noah finished breakfast, stepped outside, and headed to work. The snow had stopped, but the air still nipped at his cheeks. Not too bad, though.

  At the café, Noah braced himself for Daniel’s usual grumpiness. Ever since Micah and Daniel met, the two had been locked in a silent, mutual hatred. Noah had tried — tried — to get them to get along, but nothing helped. Not even the time Micah escaped the apartment to pick Noah up from work. Noah nearly had a heart attack seeing him outside the café door… but at least Micah remembered to hide his ears and tail.

  Micah had a motive anyway.

  If he behaved during the day, he got cuddles at night.

  Noah still insisted he didn’t like it.

  But he woke up on Micah’s chest every morning.

  And the pillow felt wrong now.

  He never expected this though.

  “Hey, Dan—” Noah began, but a shrill voice cut him off.

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  “Danny boo!!”

  A girl strutted into the café wearing platform heels and an outfit that belonged on a runway, not in a coffee shop. Daniel’s grin vanished instantly, replaced by a thin, pained line.

  “Oh… hi, Clara,” he muttered as she launched herself at him in a suffocating hug. Daniel had never looked more uncomfortable in his life.

  Noah snorted. Priceless.

  Clara pulled away and turned her gaze on Noah — judgmental, rude, and fake from head to toe.

  “Oh. So this is the little twerp you’ve been telling me about.” Her smile was sweet, but her eyes were knives.

  “Clar, be nice,” Daniel muttered.

  “Fineeee.”

  “So, uh, Noah, let me introduce you to Clara m—”

  Noah didn’t hear the rest. His brain was spiraling.

  Please don’t be his girlfriend. Please be gay. Please be aromantic. Please be a monk. Anything but this.

  Daniel called his name twice before Noah snapped back.

  “Noah?”

  “Huh? Oh—sorry, I zoned out.”

  “It’s fine… I just wanted to invite you to the Halloween party this week—”

  “Oh.”

  Of course.

  “Me and Danny are going as Prince Eric and Ariel!” Clara squealed, bouncing on her heels. Daniel did not look excited. At all.

  Daniel excused himself to the bathroom, leaving Noah alone with Clara.

  Noah tried to escape to the counter, but Clara stepped in front of him, eyes sharp.

  “You better stay away from Daniel. He’s mine, you hear me. This Halloween party is my chance. I’ve waited seven years for this. I don’t need a weirdo like you ruining it.”

  Childhood friends, Noah realized.

  He straightened. “I don’t need to listen to someone like you. You’ve got ‘pick me’ written all over you. And for your information, Daniel is gay.”

  Why did I say that? I don’t even know if that’s true!

  Clara laughed. “Daniel and I have been friends for seven years. There’s nothing he wouldn’t tell me.”

  “Maybe you’re not as close as you think.”

  She huffed, spun on her heel, and sashayed away dramatically.

  Noah watched her go, jaw set.

  Oh, he was definitely going to that party.