When I saw the third shot vanish down her throat, I knew it was time to intervene. Her cheeks were flushed, her grin was wide, and her hands wavered like they weren’t entirely sure where they belonged.
I finished serving a pair of spicy margaritas and made my way back to her. She was mid-conversation with a guy in a thrifted jacket that screamedI have a half-finished poetry collection in my bedroom.
“Let me take you home,” I interrupted, sliding between them without so much as a glance at him.
“I’m havingfun, Landon,” she sang.
“You can have fun picking a playlist in my car,” I said firmly. “Ten minutes. I’ll clock out and drive you.”
She leaned back slightly, arms crossed, barely keeping her balance. “No, I’m good here.”
Stubborn as a mule in heels.
“She doesn’t want you,” thrift-store Shakespeare chimed in. “I’ll make sure she gets home.”
I turned to him, giving him my full, unimpressed attention. “And you are?”
“Kenny.” He puffed up his chest.
“Great. Kenny, why don’t you take your bad haircut and get out, too?”
“I—”
“Ugh.” Kira’s dramatic groan interrupted the start of an argument. She picked up her purse and stood a little too fast. “Men ruin everything.”
With that probably accurate realization, her eyes cleared, and after a resigned sigh, she downed the rest of her water. Bless Raul for slipping her that.
I held out a hand, steady and patient, even as my jaw clenched. She ignored it but followed me out anyway. Kenny didn’t say another word.
In the parking lot, we were steps away from my car when Kira stopped short in her steps. I paused, hoping that whatever she needed could happen in the car. It was chilly this evening, and I didn’t have a jacket.
“I lied to you,” she announced, then wrinkled her nose. “No, technically, I misled you.”
I rubbed a hand over the stubble on my jaw. “What are you talking about, Kira?”
“Why I broke up with Xavier.” She stepped closer to me, enough that I could smell her perfume. Lavender. Different from the vanilla scent she wore back in high school but still beautiful. “It was because of the vandalization, but that wasn’t the only reason.”
“What was the other reason?”
“You.” She pointed a finger toward my chest.
I instinctively stepped back. What was she talking about? As childishly tempting as it might have been to devise some breakup scheme, I stayed away from it. I didn’t want to interfere with Kira’s choices. “How?”
“Because you’ve ruined everything for me.” She started counting her fingers. “Affection, sex, normal lovey-dovey touches. I’m bad at all of it! Xavier tried to be patient with me, but he probably would’ve broken up with me anyways because of it.”
“What?” My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “That would make him an idiot. Okay, I’m serious, give me his address right now.”
“I just told you I have problems with sex and your first instinct is to go beat him up?”
I didn’t understand. “There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to have sex with someone, Kira. Incompatibility is a common issue between people.”
“It’s not just Xavier. It’severyone.” She faltered. “Except you. It makes me feel pathetic.”
I reached for her cheek, stroking with my thumb. “You’re not pathetic, sweetheart. If that’s the way your mind works, that’s okay. Fuck any guy who thinks differently.”
“I feel pathetic because it’s only ever been good with you. Physically, emotionally, all of it. When anyone else touches me, I-I don’t feel what I should. Theo cheated on me because of it. Jae told everyone I was bad in bed. And he was right.”
“That’s not true,” I insisted. “You’re good at it, I promise. He’s an idiot. They’re all idiots.”
