I glared at the plate of waffles cooling on the coffee table. If it hadn’t been my dad’s recipe, they’d be in the trash. But it was his recipe, and I was hungry. I stabbed one with my fork, as if the waffle were to blame for my emotional turmoil.
A knock at the door sharpened my scowl. Seriously? He couldn’t have been done with Candi already.
I stalked over and yanked the door open.
“What the hell do you want now? I thought you had company—”
I cut off mid-snap, staring at Lily. She was standing there in an immaculate white dress, two suitcases parked at her feet, as cool and collected as always.
“Is this a bad time?” She glanced behind me into the apartment.
“No, I… I thought it was Sebastian.” Alarm bells triggered as I noticed the two suitcases beside her. “Is something wrong? What’s with these?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” She smiled, her tone as calm as ever. “I wanted to surprise you. I’m moving into Sue’s apartment.”
I whooped and pulled her into a one-armed hug, trying to keep the waffles away from her flawless white dress.
“I can’t believe it!” I let her go reluctantly. “How come? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it wouldn’t have been a surprise if I had. I decided to do it a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t tell anyone except Sue.”
“Come in, tell me everything,” I said, dragging her suitcases inside.
We sank onto the couch, and I nudged the waffle plate toward her—though let’s be real, I wasn’t letting her eat until she spilled.
“This place is so much closer to my office,” she said, crossing her legs with practiced grace.
I grinned. “True. Only a couple of subway stops away. I still can’t believe you and Sue managed to keep this from me. But I’m thrilled. We’re neighbors now.”
I was ridiculously happy to have her closer to me. Life was lonely for an only child, and although I was close to all the girls, Sue’s leaving had left a hole in my heart. Lily could fill that void, since she treated me as though I were her little sister.
“Me too.” She gave me a soft smile and reached for my hand, squeezing it. Her sleek black ponytail and high cheekbones made her look like she belonged in a glossy magazine spread. Classic, effortless Lily.
“So where’s the rest of your stuff?” I asked, relaxing into the cushions.
“The movers are bringing it tomorrow. You know I don’t own much.”
That was the understatement of the century. Lily was the queen of minimalism. Everything she owned could probably fit in three suitcases and a designer tote.
“You sure you’ll like it here?” I teased. “It’s not as swanky as your old neighborhood, but we do have… character.”
She laughed, her teeth gleaming. “That’s exactly why I moved here—for the weirdos. And by weirdos, I mean you.”
Her eyes landed on the waffles. “Well, well. Learning to cook?”
Heat flooded my ears, then raced up my face and neck like wildfire. One of the many perks of being a redhead—emotions never stayed private.
Lily raised an eyebrow. Her shrink face was on full blast. Observant. Patient. Deadly.
I squirmed. “Er, no. Sebastian brought them. I helped him with something last night. He couldn’t get in.”
Her brow lifted higher. “Do tell.”
I wished for a stronger AC unit to cool my blazing cheeks. “His door jammed. I helped him fix it. He brought waffles as a thank-you. That’s all.”
“That’s all?”
“I’m beginning to regret being excited about you moving here.”
