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He looked away from her and toward the couch. She followed his gaze and she frowned.
“Oh. Right." He had everything of his neatly packed up and sitting on the couch. She hadn't spotted it when she passed it on the way to her room, but it made sense. The deal was that he was going to stay with her and get a fresh breath of air, until the funeral. It hadn't crossed her mind that morning while getting ready for the day that Caspar would be packing up and leaving.
"It was nice, staying here for a little while," he said, brushing his hair out his eyes. "I don't want to further intrude, though. Jezebeth might like me at Pearl's, but I know she doesn't like seeing my face here twenty-four-seven."
Mykie nodded firmly, avoiding his eyes. "You're right. You weren't planning to stay long."
She grabbed the backpack of clothes he had and threw it over her shoulder. She led the way to the front door.
"You haven't scared me off, if that's what you're thinking," he said, following her.
She locked up behind her, not exactly sure if Jezebeth was home or not, but would rather be safe than sorry. "Oh, I know. This won’t be the last time I’ll have you in my bedroom."
"If it’s anything like last night, you’re right about that,” he said as they stepped outside.
She closed the front door behind her after Caspar went out the door. She looked over at the car that was sitting in front of her building. It was a simple, black car that would blend in on any street. It wasn't the car that kept her attention, however.
The man leaned against the side of the car with a lit cigarette in his mouth and a hand stuffed inside his pants’ front pocket. His clothes, which were black jeans and a black pullover sweatshirt, didn't really show that he had come from a funeral before. He had dark sunglasses on, so she couldn’t see his eyes properly.
He spotted her first and took a lazy drag off his cigarette. "How ya' doin’, Princess?"
Before she could answer, he dropped the cigarette and stomped it out with his heel. He lifted one of his hands and gestured towards the sky. "Seems like a perfectly good day to have a funeral and be miserable, right?"
She looked up at the sky and bit her lip to hold back the giggle that wanted to escape. The sun was high in the sky, and it felt like it was an early Fall morning instead of the middle of December.
New York weather definitely didn't make sense.
"Since when do you smoke?" she asked.
He shrugged, standing up tall. "I don’t. More of a bored habit to annoy people than a growing addiction."
He opened his passenger side door and held it. "Your lovely carriage awaits, or should I call it a hearse due to the occasion?"
"You're horrible. Absolutely horrible," she said, shaking her head. She was unable to keep the humor out of her voice as she pulled the backpack off her shoulder. Caspar moved to grab it out of her hand, and she climbed inside the car, keeping her own bag in her lap. "I can't believe you're joking about today."
He leaned on the top of the door, grinning down at her. "It's the only way I'm going to cope with everyone. I’d already be a few drinks in, if I didn’t promise to pick you up today."
Caspar pulled open the back door, which brought Ryker's attention to him. "My brother is in rare form today. He was a little put out that you weren't at the funeral itself."
Mykie felt a flare of guilt hit her stomach. By not going, she kept Caspar from going, which was wrong of her. No matter how she felt, Caspar had a right to go support his friend.
"Maybe he'll treat people a little better now that he learned his lesson that his words have consequences," Caspar muttered.
Ryker snorted. "I doubt it. Renly Harper doesn't learn 'lessons'. Everyone else is supposed to learn them and adapt to him."
Mykie frowned. No matter what she said before, he never came off so bratty to her. She brushed off his words as bitter feelings from a brother, which she didn't hold against Ryker.
"Can we get going now?" She said in a testy voice.
Both boys looked at her and Ryker nodded. "Sure thing."
He closed her door and rounded the car to climb in on the other side.
Madeleine Harper’s home was on the outskirts of the city, or so Mykie was told by Ryker. With the number of bedrooms that were needed to house all five of her children at one time, it wasn’t a surprise to find out she couldn’t find anything in the city. It was much homier than the house Renly had taken, Ryker explained.
Almost halfway there, Ryker warned her and Caspar about his family.
“Everyone’s pretty much in town, from my great-grandmother on my mother’s side to my toddler, twice-removed cousins on my father’s. Engaging in conversation with any of them is your choice, but I’d recommend staying away from all of them,” he suggested.
