My eyes find Catalina, who’s now curled up on the couch, with her leg tucked beneath her, as Cupcake, the fifteen-pound menace, is curled in her lap, wearing a tiny pink bow.
She’s tossing a ball up and down in one hand while scrolling on her phone with the other.
“Guess what?” I blurt, nearly tripping over my own excitement as I enter the living room. “Amelia said yessss.”
“To what?” Catalina asks, still paying attention to Cupcake.
“To come here, next week, to seeme.”
Carter doesn’t look up as he continues to froth the matcha. “God help us.”
“She told me not to be late, I can’t fuck up,” I say, throwing myself on the couch next to Catalina.
Catalina snorts. “You showed up three hours late to Reed’s birthday dinner because you got distracted looking at fireflies.”
“That was one time,” I say, playfully pushing her. “This is different. I need it to be perfect. She hates me, but not like regular hate. Like... attraction-hate. Right?”
“She’s definitely plotting your death,” Catalina offers with a sweet smile, scratching behind Cupcake’s ears.
I run both hands down my face. “What do I do?”
“Maybe start by not being an idiot,” Carter mutters, rinsing out the whisk.
“I’m serious,” I say, playing with the string on the seam of my jeans. “I need this to go well, and I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
Catalina’s already nodding. “Okay, just don’t overdo it, and keep it simple.”
“Should I stock her favorite snacks?”
“Um, duh.”
“Great,” I say, dragging my hand through my hair. “She probably still thinks I’m a weasel.”
“She agreed to come,” she replies, “and that means she’s curious.”
Carter cuts in. “Why is she even coming to see you, out of all people?”
Catalina snorts. “Yeah, why is she coming?”
“I miss her?” I say too quickly.
Before I can say something else, Cater interjects.
“Keep your shirt on for once, don’t scare the poor girl,”Carter mutters, handing Catalina her iced matcha as he kisses the top of her head.
I point at him, chuckling. “Don’t act like you weren’t shirtless when you first met Catalina.”
“Yeah,” he says, sitting next to Catalina. “But I was in my house, she was my guest, and she liked what she saw.”
Catalina giggles, throwing her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.
I roll my eyes. “I just don’t want to screw it up,” I say, quieter now. “I really like her.”
They both go still for a second.
Carter scoffs. “You barely know her.”
“So,” I say, “I don’t think I’ve ever actually cared this much about someone who wasn’t related to me.”
