Back inside the house, I shrug off my coat and head to the kitchen, taking a beat before rejoining the chatter in the family room. That’s where Dice finds me, wearing that knowing look of his. “You got it bad, bro.”
“Yep.” No point in denying the obvious.
He grabs two beers from the fridge, pops the tops, and hands me one. “I like her,” he says, taking a seat across from me. “She’s smart, classy, and fine as hell.”
“But?”
“You already know. That’s why you’re sittin’ here by yourself.”
“You think I’m falling too fast?”
“Among other things.”
“Like what?”
“She’s a rich, white, city girl, C. You’re out here on a snowmobile, and she’s rolling up in a top-of-the-line Mercedes Maybach. I don’t gotta tell you what that runs, straight back to her privileged life in Chicago.”
“She can’t help where she comes from,” I say sharply, remembering her worries from last night about being perceived that way. “We haven’t really talked about race yet, but she showed awareness in the diverse books she bought for Sophia. Her friends and their partners are either Black or multi-racial.That doesn’t necessarily make her enlightened, but it says something that the people closest to her look like me.”
“That’s valid,” Dice agrees, but isn’t quite sold. “You still don’t know her, C, not really. I mean, she didn’t even wanna date you, and now she suddenly does.”
“Lexie was being cautious at first, but we’ve been spending every day together, getting close. Feelings developed.”
“Maybe that’s true, but what’s gonna happen when she packs up in a couple of weeks and leaves?” He pauses, then strikes a nerve. “It’ll be like Olivia all over again.”
“Fuck, Dice.” I lurch forward, slamming the chair’s front legs down with a thud. “Olivia wanted out of here, out of this town. She wanted an exciting, glamorous life I couldn’t give her. Lexie already has all that—everything money can buy. But she’s here, rejecting it, trying to make her own way, even with her parents shutting her out. There’s no comparison.”
“My bad.” He raises his palms. “I’m not tryna burst your bubble, C, but we always keep it real with each other. What if she realizes she doesn’t want to give up that life? What then?”
I scrub a hand over my face, sorting through the tangle in my head. After the way my father was worked into an early grave by a man who cared more about profits over people, I’ve avoided dating women with wealth. I don’t know exactly how rich Lexie is. I’ve gathered that she’s several galaxies outside my orbit. But . . .
She doesn’t act like it. She’s never flaunted her money or behaved as if she was entitled to anything because of privilege. She appreciates the little things—making snow angels, a picnic at the lighthouse, my latte art. It feels genuine. Tonight, I watched her soak up the warmth of my family as if it was something special, like something she’s been missing. My gut tells me I’m right about her—but I’m not delusional either.
“I can’t predict what’ll happen,” I say, taking a pull of beer. “I’m being real with myself, though. While raising Sophia, I couldn’t just rush into relationships. I had to protect her, and I was probably protecting myself too. This thing with Lexie, the speed of it caught me off guard. But I’m going all in instead of playing it safe.”
Dice swirls the beer in his bottle, contemplative, his face taking on that serious pinched expression. “I’ll never forget what you went through, C. You had to be a parent and a brother when you were just a kid. Everything you did was for Soph, no cap. I’m glad to see you’re ready to live your own life now. But why put yourself in a situation where the odds are against you?”
“Look, after losing my dad and then Moms . . .” My throat tightens, the memories squeezing it. “I know what life can take from you. I know putting my heart out there comes with risks.”
“I feel that.” Dice punches the left side of his chest. “You know, whatever happens, I got your back, C. I’m just saying, keep it casual. Have some fun. Why you gotta go all out?”
“That’s like asking Usain Bolt why he didn’t hang back instead of going full force.”
“So, you Usain Bolt now?”
“Just making my point. I want her too much to hold back. Period. And one day, you’re gonna to see what I mean.”
“Dawg, you tripping.”
“Bet it happens. Some woman’s gonna domesticate your playa ass, and you won’t know what hit you.”
“Man . . .” He sucks his teeth. “I’ll take that bet.”
“Oh yeah? Then, put up your grail.Uncanny X-Men,#118 from 1979. Even Wolverine couldn’t buck the feels for Mariko Yashida.”
“Logan got soft. That ain’t me.”
“All right, bro. Big talk.”
