Page 44 of Gunnar

“It sat empty for a long time before we found it.”

I grab a slice of the toast.

“Hot,” he says.

I drop it immediately and blow on my fingers. “Had it under control.”

Gunnar watches me for a second. “Sure you did.”

At least the toast is not even a little bit burned. I butter it like nothing happened.

Gunnar slides the eggs on top.

“There you go.”

He sets the better-looking one in front of me.

I pretend not to notice. Instead, I glance toward the door.

“Orson’s not eating?”

“He went for a run.”

The way Gunnar says it, run sounds like something else entirely.

“He’ll probably catch something on the way,” he adds casually.

I suppress a shudder. Of the three of them, Orson is the one I can most easily imagine devouring a rabbit whole.

Gunnar takes his seat across from me.

Without Orson’s hostility and Torin’s constant joking, the room feels different.

Now there’s nothing to look at but him.

I glance up—and wish I hadn’t. His amber gaze is steady, and I have the sense he’s been watching me this whole time.

“You sleep alright last night?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I say. “Better than I expected.”

He nods.

“Especially since I usually sleep during the day.”

His brows draw together. “You work nights?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s not good for humans.”

I blink. “No?”

“No.” He sounds completely certain. “You’re meant to be asleep when it’s dark.”

I almost smile at that. No one’s ever said that to me like it matters.

“It’s just temporary,” I say. “I’m working as a night cleaner while I save up to try the bar exam again. I’m training to be a lawyer.”