While I was alone, I busied my hands with the dishes, trying to quiet the nervous energy swirling in my chest. The kitchen smelled of garlic and rosemary, steam still curling up from the pots I had left on the stove. Every sound outside made me flinch a little, especially the muffled hum of voices from the dining hall. I couldn’t tell if it was laughter or shouting, and that uncertainty gnawed at me.
Then, a loud laugh filtered through the kitchen door, an obnoxiously bright laugh. That was Joseph. I cringed and pressed a wet hand to my forehead. It sounded like he was putting on quite the show out there.
Before I could even take another breath, the door burst open and Joseph stumbled in, grinning from ear to ear, his fake curls bouncing slightly as he laughed. “Oh my gosh, Joseph, what
