Robbie’s staring at the ceiling again, and his cheeks are red too. “No. It’s not… You’re fine.”
The silence stretches for a beat too long. Robbie shifts again, and this time, I’m pretty sure he shifts closer.
Finally, Robbie clears his throat. “I, ah, meant to show you.” He pulls out his phone, fumbling a little before getting it unlocked. “Brie’s science fair project. Remember that was today?”
Thank fuck, a neutral topic.
“Remember? Her topic this year was half my idea! Or, like, aquartermine, anyway.” I lean closer and grab his wrist to see the photo of his twelve-year-old niece beaming next to her poster board. Robbie’s crouched beside her with his arm around her shoulders. She has Robbie’s exact grin, and it makes my stomach wobble. “Fire Extinguishers: Not Just for Emergencies.What a fucking superstar.” I look up at him. “Did she win?”
“First place for sixth grade, second overall.” His eyesglow with pride. “I told her Uncle Ames would have cake to celebrate this weekend.”
“Fuck yes, he will. Oh, that reminds me—Auden mentioned a middle school science camp up near Stowe. They do experiments with fire and stuff. I bet Watchfire could sponsor a scholarship if Brie’s interested. The Ames Axford Junior Fire Extinguishers Club.”
Robbie’s face lights up. “Really? That would be—” Then his expression shifts, and he looks down at me with mock seriousness. “Wait, I see your plan now. The Ames Axford JuniorArsonistsClub has them learn fire extinguishing, then gets them started lighting fires?” He deadpans. “Training America’s next generation of criminals, Amesie?”
I burst out laughing—too loud, too long, completely out of proportion to the joke. But fuck, it feels good to be understood.
“It was funny, but not that funny,” Robbie says, but he’s grinning.
“Sorry.” I wipe my eyes, realize I’m still gripping his wrist, and let go quickly. “It’s just… nice. Us.”
Something passes over Robbie’s face. “Yeah.”
We’re standing close now. Really close.How’d that happen?I can feel the heat coming off his body. I haven’t allowed myself to stand this close to him in weeks, and now that I am?—
“Amesie, I think your sausage is about to catch fire.”
I blink, and my immediate thought is that my dick is no more than half-hard and really shouldn’t be visible, even in these pants?—
Robbie pushes me out of the way and grabs the pan from the stove, moving it to an unused burner.
Oh. Right.
The sausages aren’t close to burning, though my face certainly is now. Still, I busy myself at the stove for a minute, glad for the distraction.
“Did Anna and Mike make it to Brie’s science fair?”
“Anna did.” He leans against the counter again. “Arranged her schedule so she’ll be working overnights next week, but she got there and took a million pics.” He frowns slightly. “Mike didn’t.”
I bite back the rude comment I want to make. I try not to discuss Mike with Robbie because hearing about him just pisses me off—at both MikeandRobbie, whether that’s fair or not.
“Hard to get off work sometimes,” I say instead.
“He’s not working,” Robbie admits. “He got fired last week from Luc’s crew, and he’s been looking for a new job.”
“Ah, fuck.” As predicted, my anger revs from zero to sixty in 0.2 seconds. “Did he ask how you’re doing?” I demand, banging my spoon against the pan.
“Huh?”
“When Mike texted to ask you for money—which we both know he did, since today’s the third, and his rent was due two days ago—did he ask how you were doing? Did he ask how wedding planning was coming? Did he ask how your knee is, given the rainy weather we’ve had? Did he say, ‘Rob, I appreciate this so much, let me come mow your lawn for you while I’m not working and take something offyourplate for a change’? Did he do any of that?”
Robbie’s jaw is tight, and his eyes are squeezed shut. Which meansno.
“Babe,” I say softly, reaching out a hand to cup his neck.
He stiffens and moves away. “I know you think I’m weak for not cutting him off?—”
“What?” I shake my head, my hand still suspended in midair between us. “I’ve never?—”
