At the mention of the word face, Ty’s eyes flick to mine, and then his hand goes up to touch his own face, like he’s justchecking that his cheek is still perfect. It’s like he’s concerned that my scars are contagious and he needs to make sure he hasn’t caught them.
“Jared’s actually being honored tonight,” I say, letting pride color my voice.
Carlos’s eyebrows crease. “You’re a first responder?”
“Paramedic,” Jared replies.
“How…noble,” Carlos says.
“It’s ridiculously noble,” I say with a grin. “Do you know how hard it is to date someone who literally saves lives? Last week, I tried to impress him by opening a really tight jar after he’d just finished a twelve-hour shift where he delivered a baby in a taxi. The bar is high.”
“I think you manage to sufficiently reach the bar,” Jared says with a grin in my direction before he reverts his attention to Carlos. “And what do you do, Carlos?”
“I’m a compliance analyst at a bank.”
“Oh, right.” Carlos’s job is a conversation stopper, mainly because I’m pretty sure no one at the table understands or actually cares about what his job title means.
“That’s a beautiful suit,” Ty says to me, clearly trying to change the subject. “The color is amazing.”
“Thanks,” I say warmly.
“Felix has excellent taste,” Jared says, his hand finding my lower back.
“I wish I could pull off something like—” Ty starts to say.
“You can barely pull off basic black,” Carlos interrupts him with that same fake-affectionate laugh he used to use when he put me down. “Stick to what you know, babe.”
I watch Ty shrink into himself, the same way I used to, and something in my chest flares to life. It’s not jealousy or regret, but recognition. That was me. That was exactly me, beingdecorative and quiet and letting someone else decide what was worth saying.
Jared’s jaw tightens. I know he hates bullies. I’ve heard him talk about it after difficult calls involving domestic violence situations.
He opens his mouth, but I beat him to it.
“Actually, knowing your basics is the foundation of style,” I say. “It’s why people who really understand fashion can make a white T-shirt look incredible. It’s knowing what works for you.” I look directly at Ty. “That jacket you’re wearing is perfect for your build. You clearly have excellent taste.”
Ty’s face brightens.
“I think you could pull off a suit like this,” I continue. “I actually know the designer who made this suit, so if you’re interested in seeing what else they do, let me know.”
“That would be great,” Ty says.
“I’ll track you down on social media,” I say.
Carlos doesn’t seem particularly happy about this interaction.
“Anyway, we should get back to our table,” Carlos says. “It was…interesting to see you, Felix.” His gaze jumps to Jared.
“Good to see you too,” I say benignly.
As Carlos and Tyler walk away, I hear Carlos saying something in a low voice and Tyler’s murmured apology.
“You okay?” Jared asks quietly, his hand finding mine.
I look at him, really look at him. At this man who listens with genuine interest when I talk about cat parasites, who lets Emmy paint his nails because it makes her happy, who brings me soup when I’m sick and actually remembers I hate celery, who gets genuinely excited aboutGetting the Goonsplot twists like they’re Shakespearean revelations.
“I’m better than okay,” I say, and mean it.
“So, that guy is your ex,” Ryan says as we sit back down.
