Page 13 of New Nebraska Home

“Children can be so fickle,” he said dramatically, draping himself over one of the chairs.

“You are ridiculous.” Liz sat back in her own chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “You know he really likes you. Stop being silly.”

“Yeah, but I’m cute. So I can get away with silly,” Brock said, giving her a saucy wink.

I rolled my eyes and took the seat next to Liz, then reached out and held her hand, trying to offer her some comfort.

“What happened?”

She gave us the rundown about what had happened at the store, and I had a sinking suspicion that she was glazing over a few details, but the important parts of it were that she was home, she was safe, and the big, weird-smelling shifter proved—to her at least—that he could be trusted.

“Look, it happened. I lived. Now I would like to move on,” she said when Brock tried to get the details on who was there. “And besides, there’s something else we need to talk about.”

Liz

THEY WERE ROOMMATES!

“Nothing good ever follows the phrase ‘we need to talk,’” Brock said.

This was the most awkward thing I’d ever done, and that was saying something. Why wasn’t there a Ms. Manners for humans interacting with supernaturals? How was I supposed to know what the right way was to address uncomfortable topics with these men?

Hell, if the attack at the store was any sign, Ms. Manners may not have approved of me having tenets of mixed species. Or maybe it was being a young single woman living with a bunch of men she would disapprove of? I didn’t even know anymore.

There was so much about my life that most who followed social etiquette guidelines would frown upon. Why bother worrying about one or two more?

“It’s nothing too bad, I hope,” I said, pressing my fingers into my temples. Why was this so hard? In an ideal world, this should have been an easy, quick exchange. Just confirming everyone was cool being roommates. “So, what do you guys think of Malik?”

“The super-hot shifter of unknown origin currently teaching the little half-pint how to throw a punch?” Brock asked.

“That would be the one,” I confirmed.

“I think he’s one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen. But if he thinks he’s taking away my new bestie, I don’t care what he is. There will be a fight.”

“One of the hottest men you’ve ever seen?” Callum repeated, raising an eyebrow, with an edge in his voice that I wasn’t sure how to place.

I still had no idea what their deal was. Were they a couple? Or maybe I was reading into it too much and they’re friends that decided to be roommates? Were they roommates that would turn into more than roommates? How did I ask that?

Brock looked at Callum, crossed his arms over his chest, raised an eyebrow of his own, and said, “I said what I said.”

“Right, well, he was looking for a place to crash for a while, and I still have the room up here that’s empty. So, I offered it to him. His lease is month-to-month, but I didn’t know if you guys would be okay with that or if there would be an issue or…”

“Why would there be an issue?” Brock asked.

How did I admit to him I had no idea what the deal was between shifters and vampires? Was there animosity? Most pop culture references seem to think that shifters and vampires were mortal enemies. How was I supposed to know what was true and what was just something all the smutty books I liked to read played up on?

“Just making sure,” I answered, looking down at my hands pressed flat on the table. “You guys were here first, and I wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be an issue renting the room upstairs.”

“Upstairs, as in with you and Leif?” Callum still had that edge to his voice.

“No, on this level. He would take the room just off the living room.”

“It’s cool with me,” Brock said, leaning back. “Mr. Grumpy Vampire, can you play nice with the shifter?”

Callum tilted his head, as if mulling over a response. “He isn’t a wolf, so it shouldn’t be a problem—I hate that pack mentality shit. I don’t like not knowing what he is, but this isn’t my house. And he won’t be in the basement, so I have no complaints. So long as he minds his manners.”

I let out a breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding. Not only did I feel safer with Malik around, but the money he would pay for rent combined with the other rent would cover the rest of the bills for the next month.

It wasn’t enough to live as comfortably as I would have liked, but it was enough to keep Leif and me fed, clothed, and water and electricity on while I found a job.

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