Page 92 of The Cupid Chronicles

I push open the stairwell door and step inside, not concealing my smile. “You know what this means, don’t you?” I say, holding the door open, knowing he’s not going to follow.

He raises his eyebrows in a question.

“Four meals, several cups of coffee, and the sharing of magical secrets?” I pull my arm off the door and take a step back. “I think you secretly like being my friend.”

The door closes before he can respond, and I smile because nowhe’sthe one on the other side.

Take that.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Matteo

“I haveone rule for this meal,” Iris announces as she pulls two plates out of my cupboard like she lives here.

I glance up from the griddle. “Okay.”

“You can’t analyze every bite you take.”

I look up. “Why?”

“Because.”

I squint at her, and I instantly know it’s useless to argue. “Fine.”

“Fine?”

I go back to cooking. “I mean, yeah, I’ll try. But I’m a chef, it’s kind of what I do. How about if I asked you to not share every thought in your head?”

She starts to say something, then stops herself. Then, she smiles and holds out her hands.See? It’s easy.

I shake my head at her, concealing a smile.

It stirs something inside of me, and I have the fleeting realization that I feel lighter when Iris is around.

I’m not sure what to do with that.

“One of the R Sisters said something about Joy playing theguitar,” Iris says. “I wonder if she knows anything about music.”

“One of the R Sisters?”

“I don’t remember which one is which.” She winces. “They look exactly the same.”

“Don’t tell them that,” I laugh. “Roberta says she’s ‘the pretty one’ and Rhonda is ‘the smart one.’ But Rhonda said the same thing in a less complimentary way.”

Iris giggles, then her face turns serious. “Should I be taking notes? I mean, you’ve had a few years of practice, and I don’t want to miss anything.”

I shake my head. “Nah. It’s not that deep.”

She cocks her head. “So, when I come knocking on your door during my first solo magic mission, you’re not going to tell me I should’ve paid closer attention?”

I scrunch my nose. “Eh. Maybe you should write this down.”

She pulls out her phone.

“First thing? The magic is unpredictable,” I say.

“All right. But it’s mostly matchmaking?” she asks, phone out, poised to take notes.

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