I need coffee. Lots of coffee

Cara lay back against the pillows for a moment, letting out a long exhale as the door closed behind Ethan. Her heart was still racing, the earlier scene of almost-kiss was lingering in the air like a secret too big to ignore. She glanced at the ceiling, muttering to herself, "What the hell are you doing, Cara Bennett?"

She shoved the sheets off her legs and swung them over the other side of the bed. There was no use lounging around and pretending nothing had happened. Her head still throbbed, though it was nothing compared to the mess of emotions rattling around inside her. After a few deep breaths, she decided it was time to face the music—or in this case, Ethan, again.

"Ugh," Cara groaned, running her hands through her disheveled hair. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror by the bed—her clothes were really wrinkled, hair a tousled mess, her mascara smudged under her eyes. A laugh slipped out despite herself. *I look like a raccoon who lost a fistfight.*

With no idea where her jacket or boots were, she padded barefoot toward the bedroom door. She opened it cautiously, half expecting Ethan to be standing right there waiting to show her the way out of his place, but the hallway was quiet. She followed the scent of coffee and the faint murmur of voices downstairs. As she descended, her fingers trailed along the railing, trying to steady herself both physically and mentally.

But as she reached the bottom step, the scene before her nearly made her stumble.

There, seated at the kitchen island, was Devi Graves and a house help. Delly was already dressed in her high school uniform—a navy pleated skirt and blazer—Devi sat casually sipping on a smoothie as if Cara's appearance wasn't the least bit surprising.

Cara froze mid-step, momentarily struck dumb by the absurdity of the situation. She hadn't expected to see Ethan's younger cousin here, let alone looking so calm and collected while Cara, in her sleep-deprived, post-clubbing state, looked like a human disaster.

"Morning," Devi said, her eyes glinting with amusement as she took another sip. "You're looking... refreshed."

Cara blinked, realizing she was still standing awkwardly on the last step. She forced a smile and stepped off. "Uh, thanks. Didn't expect to see you here."

Devi shrugged, not missing a beat. "I live here. Unlike some people." She raised an eyebrow pointedly, the corners of her mouth twitching into a sly smile. "Big night?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Cara shot back, trying to regain some dignity as she walked further into the kitchen.

Devi watched her with open amusement, her fingers playing idly with the straw of her smoothie. "You look like you fought a blender and lost."

Cara chuckled dryly, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water. "You should see the other guy."

"Ethan?" Devi asked innocently, though the mischief in her voice was clear.

Cara nearly choked on her water. "What? No, nothing like that."

"Uh-huh." Devi leaned forward on her elbows, a knowing grin spreading across her face. "You sure? Because Ethan's been in a *really* good mood this morning. Suspiciously good, if you ask me."

Cara sighed and shook her head. "Devi, please. It's way too early for this."

"Is it though?" Devi replied, her eyes twinkling with a mix of curiosity and humor. "Because it looks like you two were having a... moment before I interrupted yesterday during hotpot."

"We were *not* having a moment," Cara said quickly, though she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "We were just—talking."

"Right. Talking." Devi's grin widened. "Well, if you need any advice on Ethan, feel free to ask. I've known him since, oh, birth."

Cara couldn't help but laugh at that, shaking her head, she wasn't in the mood to explain herself to a highschool teenager let alone indulge her, her head was almost killing her "Thanks, but I think I can handle him."

"Good luck with that," Devi said with a wink. "He's stubborn, but he's not a bad guy. Just... you know, *Ethan*."

"Trust me, I know," Cara muttered, setting her glass down. Her mind wandered back to the tension in the bedroom, the way Ethan had looked at her, and the undeniable pull between them. She wasn't sure how to feel about any of it, but one thing was for sure—Ethan was definitely not a simple man.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the stairs, and both women turned to see Ethan making his way down. He had changed into a fitted suit, looking every bit the professional investigator. His hair was now dry, perfectly styled, but Cara couldn't help but remember how he'd looked just moments ago—disheveled, shirtless, and teasing her with every glance.

"Morning, Devi," Ethan said, ruffling his cousin's hair as he walked past her toward the kitchen counter. "You ready for school?"

Devi swatted his hand away, rolling her eyes. "Don't patronize me. I've been ready for hours. It's not my fault you decided to host sleepovers without warning."

Ethan glanced at Cara, his lips curving into a slight smile. "She's a guest."

"Mm-hmm," Devi replied, her eyes bouncing between the two of them with barely concealed glee. "A *guest* who happened to wake up in your bed."

Cara felt her face heat up, and she shot Ethan a glare. "Your sister has an overactive imagination."

Ethan chuckled, leaning against the counter. "Don't worry, Devi. Cara just needed a place to crash."

"Sure," Devi said with mock seriousness, "and next time, maybe I'll invite some friends over for a crash, too. We can make it a slumber party."

Cara groaned, rubbing her temples. "Can I die now?"

Devi's laughter rang out, bright and unrestrained. "Nah, you're stuck with us now. I hope you like awkward breakfasts."

Before Cara could retort, Ethan's phone buzzed loudly on the counter. He glanced down at it, his expression shifting to something more serious. "Duty calls," he muttered, grabbing the phone and answering it. "Graves."

Cara watched as his face grew more focused, his posture straightening as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. The easy-going Ethan from earlier had been replaced by Investigator Graves, all business.

"Right. I'll be there in twenty," Ethan said, his voice clipped. He ended the call and turned to Cara and Devi, his expression apologetic but firm. "I have to head out. Something came up."

"Work?" Devi asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah," Ethan replied, already moving toward the front door to grab his keys and jacket. "I won't be back until late."

Devi frowned, a twinge of disappointment tugging at her chest. Not that she was expecting anything different—Ethan was always on the move, always chasing the next case. Still, a part of her had hoped they'd have more time to spend together so that she could try and figure... whatever was going on between Cara and him.

"I can get a cab," Cara said, glancing at Devi.

"Don't be ridiculous," Ethan replied without missing a beat. "Devi's chauffeur can drop you off wherever you need to go. It's no trouble."

Devi perked up at the mention of her chauffeur, a mischievous grin lighting up her face. "Oh, yeah. I'm sure Garret will be thrilled to have a partner in crime for the ride."

Cara raised an eyebrow. "Partner in crime?"

Devi shrugged, still smiling. "Well, not literally. But Garret's pretty used to chauffeuring around disaster zones. I'm sure you two will get along just fine."

Ethan shot his sister a warning look. "Behave, Devi."

"I always do," she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

Cara, despite the surrealness of the morning, couldn't help but laugh. "Sounds like I'm in for an adventure."

Ethan paused by the door, giving Cara one last look—something unspoken passing between them. "I hope you find your way home and not into chaos."

There it was again, that familiar hike of his. Cara nodded, feeling the tug of what he meant, but also knowing that 'chaos' in their line of work could mean anything.

"Sure," she said quietly. "i'll try."

Ethan gave her a final witty smile, then slipped out the door, leaving the house suddenly too quiet in his absence.

Devi stood, grabbing her backpack from the chair. "Well, this was fun. I'll let Garret know you're tagging along."

"Thanks," Cara said, watching as Devi headed toward the door.

Just as Devi was about to leave, she paused, glancing over her shoulder with a smirk. "By the way, Cara... nice *almost* kiss."

Cara's mouth dropped open, heat rising in her cheeks. "How—?"

"Your face says everything," Devi replied with a wink before disappearing out the door.

Cara groaned, running a hand over her face. "I need coffee. Lots of coffee."

And with that, she headed toward the kitchen, hoping a caffeine overdose would somehow help her make sense of the day—and Ethan Graves.