It shouldn’t matter. Itdoesn’tmatter.
“Put me to work,” I demand.
“I can’t believe you want to do this after cleaning all morning, but if you’re determined to help, you can start opening those lip balms while I go get the other bins. Try one. They actuallytastelike the flavor shown on the top.”
“You mean they smell like it, right?” I call after her, opening one of the balms and giving it a wary sniff.
“No!” she shouts. “It really actually tastes like strawberries! Try it!”
I’m smoothing the gloss on my lips—itdoestaste like strawberries—when the door swings open and Elijah stands there, in jeans and work boots and a T-shirt fitted just right. He fills the entire frame, his gaze locking on mine, and darkening.
My index finger ceases moving, remains suspended in air guiltily, as if I’m a criminal with a diamond necklace hanging from my gloved fist. His loveliness still sucks the air from my lungs and any reasonable thought from my head.
“I’m tasting the lip gloss,” I tell him.
Inside, I absolutely die. I have two advanced degrees, but this was the best I could come up with.I’m tasting the lip gloss.
For fuck’s sake, Easton.
A deliciously crooked smile lights up his face and my stomach follows the movement, tilting like a carnival ride.
“Kelsey was going to hire professional lip gloss tasters,” he replies, “but they book out months ahead of time.”
I want to still be mad at him, but find myself stifling a laugh instead.Dammit, Elijah, how dare you attempt to act as if we’re friends after what you did?“I’m laughing, but you’re still a dick.”
His shoulders sag. “I know. And?—”
He turns at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway and doesn’t finish whatever it was he was going to say, which was probably yet another apology, thoughJesus, Easton...it’s been five years. He shouldn’t still need to offer them. Let it go.
He walks out of the house and a moment later, arrives in the elevator with Judy, one hand on her elbow, the other around her hip.
“Easton!” she cries, holding out her arms.
We don’t hug in my household, but the Cabots hug in theirs—fiercely and frequently. I learned to endure it and even appreciate it, though it never felt natural.
Judy seems genuinely delighted to see me, though it’s hard to buy after she ghosted me for so long. I wrap my arms around her gently, somewhat unwillingly, before Elijah shepherds her to the couch.
“What’s up?” I ask. “Are you injured?”
She waves her hand. “It’s nothing. Did something to my hip. It’ll be right as rain by the wedding.” She pats the space beside her for me to sit and Elijah and Kelsey take the opposing chairs. I’d forgotten about the way Elijah sits—he’s a classic manspreader, hands relaxed on his thighs. I wish I hated it.
“Tell me all about school,” she urges, while Kelsey sets us each up with a bin and begins passing bags for us to fill.“Actually, first tell me why you decided to go into research. You wanted to practice your entire life.”
My breath stops for just a moment. I’ve lied about this so many times it should be old hat by now, but it never is. “I guess I was just more interested in the science. And I can potentially help a lot more people this way.”
It’s not entirely a lie. I do like research, though I didn’t expect to. And I can help more people by doing it. But no, it wasn’t the plan. And I didn’t have much of a choice about it.
“Tell me what you’re studying again? Kelsey tried to explain but anything science-related goes in one ear and out the other,” Judy says, fumbling with her bag.
Does she realize it’s beenyears? That she’s asking questions about something I’ve been at for half a decade because she’s fucking avoided me that entire time?
Play nice, Easton. For Kelsey, play nice.
Kelsey smiles. “I think the issue was more that I was trying to explain something to you that I couldn’t begin to understand myself.”
I carefully avoid Elijah’s gaze as I answer, but I can’t avoid his hands. His large, tan hands. Long fingers that are somehow lovely and masculine at once.
“It’s a polyamine complex,” I begin, and both Judy and Kelsey shoot me those bland, encouraging smiles that actually meanI have no idea what you’re saying. Thomas can explain what he’s doing in such simple terms even a child could understand. I have no such talent. “It helps with autoph—” I stop myself again. “It helps maintain the structural integrity of a cell. The one I’m looking at is showing pretty significant anti-aging benefits orally...I’m investigating a topical version.”
