“Yes, sir.” She saluted me before we left the bar and made our way to our building. It was wild to me how these walks and bar-shifts were becoming my favorite part of the day. It had only been two weeks of us doing this, but it seemed like so much longer. I didn’t even want to think about what happened when Charlie returned. Did I stop working? Did I want to?
No. I planned to hang out with Elle in any capacity she’d have me. Even though I couldn’t offer her more than friendship or three nights, it made me wish I could. However, I couldn’t gothrough the pain again. That part of my heart had already been destroyed.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Elle
Gabe was one of those sneaky hosts. I thought I’d be nice and responsible and have one glass of wine. One. Uno. But Gabe would refill it every so often, and I’d lost count. It had to be more than one. My tongue felt lazy, and I really wanted to lay down on the fluffy pillow on his couch. Who bought him that fluffy pillow? Dani? Didn’t seem likely.
Wine and a cards game. How Midwestern of us. Well, Dani wasn’t drinking wine. She went for beer. Gabe went for whiskey. Cal… hm. I studied him and his pinched lips and wide-eyed expression. He reminded me of those deer you saw driving late at night in the cornfields. Thehow the hell did I get hereface.
“I invited you,” I said, nudging his shoulder. He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side like a cute lost puppy. “You had a face. Like a deer. Like,whyam I here and how did I get here and what’s life’s purpose?”
“That’s a lot of questions for one look.”
“You’re the one doing it.” I reached my finger toward his forehead and smoothed one of the wrinkles there. His skin was warm to touch, and I swore he leaned into me for a bit.
“Do you usually touch people’s faces?” my brother asked. His tone was off, a little edge to it. “Or justCal’s?”
“She does it to everyone,” Cal said rather quickly. Too quickly in fact.
“No, I don’t.”
“You touch people at the bar all the time.”
“Not their foreheads. That’d be weird. A stranger touching your face?” I frowned, confused as to why Gabe glared at Cal and Cal narrowed his eyes at me. I was not a forehead toucher? “It’s your wrinkle. It’s like, permanent on your face from the frowns.”
“Elle.” Gabe pointed his thumb in the kitchen. “Can I talk to you?”
“Um, okay?” I shared a look with Daniella, and amusement danced all over her face. “Why do I feel like I’m going to end up grounded?”
She snickered. “You might be.”
I pushed up from the couch and took my time dragging my feet to talk to my brother. This felt dramatic. Like our family had secrets or something. He stood with his hands on his hips, and when I hopped in the room, he glared at me. “You and Cal.”
“What? You and Cal, what? That wasn’t a question or even a statement. It was naming two nouns in the room.”
“Jesus, Elle.” He ran a hand through his hair. It had gotten longer. He could almost do a bun at the very top if he wanted. I could get Dani to try it and send photos. Yes, that idea was great.
“Why the hell are you smiling? This is serious.”
“I was thinking about your manbun situation.”
“I don’t—” He played with his hair and frowned. “Wow, it is long.”
“Yup.”
“Anyway, you and Cal. What is going on?”
“Nothing? We’re friends? Which, I don’t appreciate this tone of conversation. It shouldn’t matter if him and I were doing it every hour of every day. Don’t pull the big brother bullshit with me.”
“Ah.” He covered his ears with his hands, real maturely. “None of that.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re banging my best friend, so shut your mouth.”
Gabe groaned and shook his head fast before refocusing on me. “He’s been through a lot, and I don’t think he’s in the right headspace to be good for you.”
