"Liar." She tossed another piece of popcorn at me.

I caught it in my mouth, earning a surprised laugh from her.

The movie had done something unexpected—it had defused the tension between us. Not the sexual tension, which still hummed beneath the surface whenever our eyes met, but the wary defensiveness Aurora had been carrying since arriving. She was relaxed now, sitting cross-legged on my couch, the bowl of popcorn mostly empty between us.

"So," I said, "now you know I have terrible taste in movies according to you. What else do you want to know about me?"

She considered the question, tilting her head slightly. "Why do you have two girlfriends?"

Direct hit. No warmup.

"That’s complicated."

"I’ve got time."

I leaned back, considering how much to reveal. "Short version? I connect with both of them. They connect with me. We make it work."

"And they don’t get jealous of each other?"

"Sometimes. But they talk about it. Work through it."

"That seems..." she paused, searching for the word.

"Weird? Immoral? Degenerate?"

"Mature, actually." She shrugged at my surprised expression. "Most people can’t handle their emotions well enough for one relationship, let alone something more complex."

"That’s... not the reaction I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"Judgment. Disgust. Moral outrage."

She laughed. "I’m not judging you, Rome. I just don’t understand how it works for me."

"For you?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Her cheeks colored slightly. "I meant in general. For anyone."

Huh...

"It works because we’re honest," I said. "No one’s being lied to. No one’s being cheated on. Everyone knows where they stand."

Aurora’s fingers traced patterns on the couch cushion. "Unlike ’Return to Harbor,’" she said softly.

"Exactly."

She looked up, meeting my eyes. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure."

"Why did you try to kiss me earlier when you already have two girlfriends?"

I could have lied. Could have given her some line about being unable to resist her beauty or some other charming bullshit. Instead, I told her something close to the truth.

"Because I felt something when we connected. Something different. And I wanted to explore it."

"With sex."

"Not necessarily."

"But probably."

I smiled. "Eventually? Yeah, probably. I’m not going to pretend I’m not attracted to you, Aurora."

She nodded, processing this. "At least you’re honest about it."

"Always."

Her phone chimed with a notification. She checked it, then frowned slightly.

"Nolan?" I guessed.

"No." She put the phone away. "Student council stuff. I should probably get going soon anyway."

"Or..." I said, leaning back into the couch cushions, "we could watch something else. Play some games. I’ve got a decent setup in the entertainment center."

Aurora checked her phone again, biting her lower lip. Her green eyes flickered between the door and me, weighing her options.

"Are you asking me to stay, Rome?"

"Yes." I flashed her my best not-trying-too-hard smile. "I’d love to steal a little bit more of your time, Rora."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Rora?"

"Yeah, it fits." I shrugged, keeping my tone casual despite the sudden tightness in my chest. "Rome and Rora. Why not?"

"Nobody calls me that."

"That’s exactly why I should."

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. "What games do you have, anyway?"

"Everything worth playing." I grabbed the remote from the coffee table and pulled up my console’s menu. "Racing, fighting, co-op adventures—"

"Sario Kart," she said immediately, pointing at the screen. "I want to crush you at Sario Kart."

I snorted. "Big talk from someone who’s about to get absolutely demolished."

"Please." Aurora’s voice dripped with confidence. "I’d never be seen with someone who can’t beat me at Sario Kart."

"Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow, tossing her a controller. "You realize you’re challenging someone who had nothing but time and money growing up, right?"

She caught the controller with surprising dexterity. "You realize you’re challenging someone who has three older brothers who play nothing but racing games, right?"

Well, shit. That wasn’t in the book summary.

"First to three wins?" I asked, switching to the game.

"Make it five." Aurora kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs under herself, getting comfortable. "I want you to have time to process your defeat."

The main menu appeared with its colorful characters and upbeat music. Aurora immediately selected Princess Peach, while I went with Bowser.

"Of course you’d pick the villain," she muttered.

"Of course you’d pick the princess," I countered.

"She has the best handling."

"He has the best top speed."

"Only matters if you can drive straight."

"Only matters if you can catch up."

We selected Rainbow Road—the ultimate test of skill—and the countdown began. The second the race started, I knew I was in trouble. Aurora wasn’t just good; she was vicious. She hit every drift perfectly, grabbed every shortcut, and seemed to have an uncanny ability to dodge the items I sent her way.

"You were saying something about demolishing me?" she asked sweetly as she lapped me.

"I’m letting you win the first one," I growled, desperately trying to keep my kart on the track. "Building your confidence before I crush it."

She laughed, the sound bright and genuine. "Sure you are."

By the third race, I’d managed to win one to her two, but only because she got hit with a blue shell right before the finish line. Her competitive streak was showing—tongue caught between her teeth in concentration, shoulders hunched forward, eyes narrowed at the screen.

"You know," I said as we entered the fourth race, "if you’re going to keep sitting that way, I’m going to keep being distracted by how your shirt rides up."

"Nice try." She didn’t even look away from the screen. "Your psychological warfare won’t work on me."

"Not psychological. Just honest."

She sent a red shell directly into my kart. "Oops."

"Oh, it’s like that?" I scooted closer, deliberately invading her space. "Two can play dirty."

Aurora shifted away, keeping her eyes locked on the screen. "Stay on your side, cheater."

"Afraid of a little competition?" I moved closer again until our shoulders were almost touching. "Can’t handle the heat?"

"I’m handling you just fine," she said, effortlessly drifting around a corner while I slammed into a wall. "See?"

I could smell her perfume this close—something light and floral that made my head spin slightly. Focus, Rome. This isn’t about getting her into bed anymore. This is about not getting absolutely destroyed at Sario Kart.

We were neck and neck in the final lap of the fourth race. She was up 2-1, meaning if she won this one, she’d take the whole thing. I couldn’t let that happen.

"What the hell?" She gasped as my kart knocked hers off the track.

"All’s fair in love and Sario Kart," I said, zooming past her.

"You absolute—" She cut herself off, focusing on catching up.

I crossed the finish line just ahead of her, pumping my fist in the air. "That’s two-two. Final race decides it all."

Aurora was looking at me with newfound respect. "You’re better than I thought."

"You have no idea what I’m capable of," I said, meeting her eyes.

Something crackled in the air between us. Her lips parted slightly, and I watched her pupils dilate. For a moment, I thought she might lean in.

Instead, she turned back to the screen. "Final race. Bowser’s Castle."

"Home field advantage? I’ll take it."

As the race began, we both leaned forward, completely invested. Our shoulders pressed together, neither of us moving away this time. I could feel the warmth of her through my shirt, the slight tension in her body as she navigated a tricky turn.

"You’re going down, Fitzgerald," I said as I pulled ahead.

"In your dreams, D’Angelo."

We traded the lead back and forth, expertly throwing items and dodging obstacles. By the final lap, we were seconds apart, and the tension was thick enough to cut.

And then it happened. My phone rang.

The distraction cost me just enough focus that I missed a turn and fell into lava. By the time I respawned, Aurora had crossed the finish line.

"Victory!" she shouted, throwing her arms up. "Undefeated champion!"

"That was cheating," I protested, glaring at my still-ringing phone. "External interference."

"Excuses, excuses." She was practically glowing with triumph. "Just admit it—I’m better than you."

I tossed my controller onto the coffee table. "Best of seven?"

"Nope." She popped the ’p’ with satisfaction. "I won fair and square. Deal with it."

My phone stopped ringing, then immediately started again. I grabbed it to check the caller—Mera.

"I should probably get this," I said, glancing at Aurora.

"Go ahead." She leaned back into the couch, still riding her victory high.

I swiped to answer. "Hey."

"Rome." Mera’s voice was tight with unusual urgency. "Are you watching the news?"

"No, why?"

"Turn it on. Channel Seven. Now."

I grabbed the remote and switched to live TV. The local news was running a breaking story with the headline: "CITIZEN STOPS ARMED ROBBERY."

The footage was grainy security camera video showing the convenience store from this morning. Me, stretching my arm to twice its normal length. Me, opening a portal to drop behind one of the robbers. Me, with glowing purple eyes using Gravity Jail.

My stomach dropped.

"Holy shit," I whispered.