Heather wasn't sure why Lauren was calling, but it wasn't going to be good. It never was.
Her voice stayed even. "What do you want?"
She did not need to play games. The question was clear enough that anyone with half a brain would know exactly what she meant.
There was a small, false-sweet laugh from Lauren's side. "Oh, I'm just calling to see how you are," she said lightly, like they were two old friends catching up over coffee.
Heather's eyes narrowed as she leaned back in her chair, her hand tightened around the phone. "Right," she muttered under her breath, barely masking her irritation.
Lauren kept talking, her tone wrapped in honey, but Heather could hear the cold edge beneath it.
"We all got together after… you know, what happened down there. Just wanted to check in. Make sure everything's… smooth."
Heather exhaled, long and heavy, the weight of the morning already pressing on her from every angle. She had Caius to deal with, Adonis being Adonis, and now Lauren.
