“Why are you crying?” I ran a thumb over her cheek.
She glanced toward the driver.
“Discretion is his middle name. He’s not paying attention to us. Don’t cry, Red. I don’t want to make you shed any tears.” My fingers inched toward her slight ones.
“But you have. And I mean it, this is your last chance.”
“I hear you. I promise I won’t mess up again. Being with you was decadent. It scared me. Both times, if I’m being honest…” My hand entwined with hers, and I pulled her close.
She interrupted my moment. “Your mom is not going to be happy.”
“I’m done catering to my mom,” was all I said, but I had a plan.
Thankfully, we didn’t have more time for James to ask questions because we pulled in front of the restaurant.
“Wait,” I instructed and got out to open her door.
I couldn’t lie—when she stepped out, her curvy legs in those jeans, cleavage on display, hair looking how I recalled from years ago, I knew not attacking her later would be hard. But tonight was meant for talking and understanding, not fucking.
Tucked in a corner booth, fresh guac and chips in front of us, a bottle of Spanish red opened and breathing, I felt settled for the first time in weeks. “Billy made me come,” I admitted. “I probably shouldn’t tell you that. Makes me look like an ass, but she came to me and told me I was acting like an ass, so that’s why I’m here.”
Taking a sip of her wine, James looked at me over the rim of her glass. “You know, I never knew if Billy liked me. She was always nice, but I was never quite sure. At the funeral, she caught my gaze with this look that said she knew my reckoning was coming.”
I defended my sister. “Billy didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“I know, but her look told me everything I knew. Billy liked me and felt bad for me because she knew I’d never have you.”
“I’m here.”
I drank my wine instead of making more of a fool of myself with added proclamations.
James changed the subject. “Will your movie be okay?”
I nodded. “I have a good director and my associate producer is there. I’m not going to lie—I’m going to have to go check on them.”
She dipped a chip in the guacamole and brought it to her mouth, a speck or two of salt landing in the corner of her mouth. I couldn’t resist using my thumb to swipe it away, my arm reaching across the booth. I wished it was my mouth doing her bidding.
“Screw this,” I said, snagging my wineglass and walking around to her side of the booth and sliding in next to her.
After swallowing, she said, “Take some, you’re starving,” while snuggling the tiniest bit into my side.
I’d take it.
“You know, I don’t want to control you,” she said over a laugh.
Quickly swallowing my mouthful, I asked, “Why are you laughing?”
“Because you showed up at my door an hour ago, and I’m probably getting way ahead of myself.”
Turning to the side, I ran my finger over her chest, where her heart was. “You’ve been hurt by me.”
“I am sort of shocked. I guess I should thank Billy, but this doesn’t seem real.”
“It’s real. Come on, let’s not dwell on the past.” I’d had enough serious for one day.
Truthfully, it was hurting me how much I’d hurt James. Twice now. I couldn’t think about it anymore.
“I have to work,” Jamie told me at her door when I asked if she could do something the next day.
