I carefully did not look at Cal. Was it wrong to hope he’d one day want affection like that?
 
 Thirty or so minutes later we left Silvia and Lloyd’s house and drove half a block down the street. I pulled into the cracked driveway. “Here it is.” The darkness hid a lot of the cosmetic issues with the exterior.
 
 Cal examined the house but didn’t move to get out of the car. “Uh, it’s got good bones, I guess?”
 
 I laughed. “Wait til you see the inside.”
 
 We got out of the car and Cal followed me silently to the frontdoor. I wasn’t getting much through the connection. Maybe he’d started to learn how to block me.
 
 I turned the key in the lock. “Brace yourself,” I said as I opened the door.
 
 The awful wallpaper in the kitchen was even more garish without daylight coming through the windows. Cal winced when he caught sight of the pumpkin-colored carpet in the living room.
 
 The more I looked at everything that had to be done to make this place livable, the more tense I got. “Um, upstairs are a couple of guest bedrooms and the only place in the house that’s been updated.”
 
 He eyed me skeptically. “Oh, yeah?”
 
 “See for yourself.” I gestured for him to go up the stairs.
 
 I had a great view of Cal’s ass and thighs as they worked to climb the stairs. My tension receded and my combat mode—or lust mode in its current version—clawed to come out. When we got to the landing, I put my hand on Cal’s back to guide him to the game room. That contact, even though our skin was separated by his shirts, was enough to calm my magic.
 
 “Wow.” Cal walked to the center of the room and spun around. “I love this space.”
 
 “Me too. I want to make it a game room. It’s big enough I can put in some tables for hosting game nights, and there’ll still be room for a TV and game consoles.”
 
 Cal went stiff.
 
 I got a jolt ofrecognitionthrough our connection. “What is it?”
 
 He walked to one side of the room. “This is where the TV and couch will be.”
 
 I rushed over to him. “Are you having a vision?”
 
 He crossed his arms and shook his head. “No. Remember the other day when I told you I had a vision where I was playing video games with Steve and Felix? That was here. Or it will be.”
 
 I put my hand around his waist and pulled him tight against me. “I like the thought of you hanging out here.”
 
 He turned in my arms, facing me. “There was something else.”
 
 “Yeah?” I pulled him closer. “What else happened?” I wasn’t getting anything from the connection.
 
 He raised his head and his eyes blazed into mine. “You walked up and kissed me.”
 
 I smiled and let the combat-slash-lust mode take over. “Hmmm. I’m smart like that.”
 
 Cal caught his breath. “Your eyes are glowing.”
 
 “Can I kiss you now?” I stepped forward, crowding into him.
 
 He slid his arms around my back. “Please.”
 
 ON DISCORD PRIVATE MESSAGES
 
 SATURDAY, APRIL 1
 
 Greg_DM_Central_TXApril 1 at 9:23am
 
 FYI, I was able to connect to a magic carrier. She’s bonded to a Wonder, and that’s how I reached her magic, so I’m not sure if it would work with everyone. I want to try it with some others before I announce it to the group.