When I pull up to the building, I shoot him a text.
Penn:
Here
Travis:
Come up, there’s pizza. Code to the door is 6134.
I swear that guy could eat pizza for every meal, every day. I sigh and reluctantly exit my truck. I won’t pass up the opportunity to see Olivia, but I’m exhausted. Emotionally zapped after going to visit my mom.
Ellie opens the door for me, and I step in and slip my shoes off, remembering the carpet from last night. I didn’t pay attention to much other than Olivia’s room, but everything’s as I expected—clean and modern. There’s a light gray sofa against the wall with a matching love seat, and a white TV stand with expensive-looking knick-knacks. The kitchen is also white, with shiny fixtures and top-of-the-line appliances.
Travis and Ellie are at the table, while Olivia sits at thewraparound bar with her back to me, head bent over like she’s studying something.
“Hey, man. Pizza.” Travis waves a slice in the air.
Olivia straightens, like no one told her I was coming. I walk into the kitchen and take the plate of pizza Ellie hands me. “There are drinks in the fridge. Help yourself. Travis paid.” She snickers.
I take the stool next to Olivia. “How ya feeling?” I ask loud enough for only her to hear.
She peers at me from the corner of her eye. “Fine.”
“Good.”
She turns to study me. Likely wondering if I’m being an ass or not. I’m not.
“Thanks for, you know,” she says.
I frown. “No, I don’t know?”I’m not letting you off that easily.
“Ellie said you carried me to bed. Sorry about that. I don’t normally drink that much, but thank you.” She gives me a small smile, seeming embarrassed.
“It was nothing.” I take a bite of pizza, thinking it over as I chew. After I swallow, I ask, “Why did you?”
“Why did I what?”
“Drink so much?”
“Oh. Um, I don’t know. Just felt like letting loose, I guess.” She shrugs and goes back to staring at her phone.
“Do you do that often?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“Not really, no.”
“You should. Not the drinking part, but letting loose more. It looks good on you.”
She’s quiet for a minute, a deep frown on her cute lips, and I can see her wheels turning. I’d meant it as a compliment, but I’m not sure she took it that way.
“So, what do you do? For fun, I mean? How doyoulet loose?” she asks, eyeing me curiously.
A smile tugs at my lips. “How about I show you sometime?”
Her eyes widen.
I cut off her dirty thoughts. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Barbie, I’m not talking about that.” Her face reddens as it usually does. “I mean, I could show you that too.” I wink.
She laughs, shaking her head. After I finish off my pizza, I carry my plate to the sink and rinse it off. I use the scrub brush to make sure it’s clean before placing it in the dishwasher. When I spin around, I find Olivia staring at me, her brows pinched.
