I caught the cold white door. “For a snack.”
“I mean why are you staying here?”
I reached in and grabbed a bottle of water, twisting the top off before pushing the door closed with my hip. I didn’t want to tell her the truth because that would take all night. But also because it felt too raw, like pouring hot water on freshly burned skin. Yet there was something about the way she regarded me, her curious green pupils following me without an ounce of judgment. Her head was tilted in concern. Or maybe it was empathy.
“It’s…complicated,” I began, running my hand along the back of my neck, eyes glued to the floor. “I’ve been having a…a hard time. And it got to a point that it was better to not be alone for a while.”
“Oh,” she said, and when I brought my gaze back to hers, I recognized the look of sadness I’d seen there before.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she continued, leaning against the counter, folding her arms over her chest. “I hate when people say that because it sounds ridiculous. So apathetic. But I really am sorry.”
“Thanks,” I said.
She raked her hands down her face. “If I’m being totally honest, I’m having a tough time too. I’m hanging on by a thread right now and having to deal with Caesar might be what causes it to snap.”
I moved to stand beside her. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. “Thanks.”
“And if both our lives are shit, we might as well be shitty together,” I said. “I’ll be on your Pictionary team. If you want me to, of course.”
“Seriously?” she asked. “You’d do that?”
I held out my hands. “It’s not like I’ve got a lot else on my schedule.”
“Okay, then,” she said. “But have you met Caesar? Because that dude is alot.”
My lips quirked. “So am I.”
She shrugged. “You know what? I’ll take what I can get. You want a beer or anything?”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m good.”
“Maybe some pregame Advil? A lobotomy?” she asked, backing away toward the direction of the living room.
I trailed behind her. “How annoyingisthis guy?”
She twisted the cap off her beer and took a swig. “You have no idea.”
SEVEN
McKenzie
Caesar’s facewas priceless when I sauntered back into the living room with Luca. His eyes went wide as though I’d performed a magic trick, making a hot guy appear out of thin air. When it came time to split into teams, Caesar quickly volunteered for Katie’s with Dallas and Sydney, giving Luca a wide berth all evening as though he might bite.
My team consisted of me, Luca, and Katie’s friend Margot whom I liked a lot. She had pink hair, a pixie-like frame, and a potty mouth. Between the three of us, we crushed it. Well, Luca and I did. Margot mostly provided colorful commentary, but Luca and I were on the same wavelength. It was almost like there was an invisible telephone line connecting our brains. He understood my crude drawings, sometimes even before I’d finished them. We played three full games and won them all.
“I still don’t know how you got that last one,” Dallas told Luca after everyone else had left.
“I don’t know how youdidn’t,” Luca said with a laugh.
“Seriously,” I added with an eye roll, pointing to the masterpiece I’d sketched. “There’s a dick. There’s a chain.”
“Dick Cheney,” Luca said, holding out his hand to give me a high five.
When his skin touched mine, a shiver coursed from my palm, up my arm, and through the back of my neck. He was so beautiful it was almost painful. Like that time I found a black onyx ring I loved at this vintage jewelry store and then saw the price. It was stunning, one of a kind. But it would never belong to me.
“You two make a good pair,” Katie said, stacking the last of the now empty dishes on top of each other to take to the kitchen. “You know, we’d love for you to join us again next month if you decide to stick around Nashville, Luca. I hope you do. Promise you’ll come if you’re still here?”
