Page 109 of Stay Scared

“Coward.”

His gaze settles on me. “People falling down.”

I blink.

Owen looks completely serious.

“People falling down?”

“When they aren’t injured.”

“That qualification arrived quickly.”

“I anticipated how you would interpret the answer.”

“You enjoy slapstick.”

“I enjoy gravity correcting confidence.”

A laugh escapes me hard enough that I have to cover my mouth.

Owen’s expression changes.

There is no triumph in it. He simply watches me laugh at something he gave me instead of something he learned by watching from across a street.

The difference lands strangely.

“One more,” I say.

“You have already asked several.”

“You’ll survive.”

His thumb starts toward his finger.

I tap the back of his hand before he gets there.

Owen freezes.

“Caught you.”

His eyes drop to where I touched him, then rise to mine.

I pull my hand back.

“What is the last thing you bought because you wanted it?”

“That assumes I routinely buy things I don’t need.”

“That answer tells me the question is excellent.”

He looks at the monitor.

I wait.

His gaze flicks back to me when he realizes what he did.

I grin. “Again.”