To touch my skin.
I wanted to move closer, letting his palm glide across my thigh. I swallowed, and his mouth dropped to my neck.
“But you ignore them,” he added and dropped his eyes back to my leg, smiling to himself.
“That doesn’t help my game at all,” I joked, but the words lacked the amusement.
“Too bad,” he chuckled, still focused on his drawing.
“Ahh, what a waste of a question,” Alex said, entertained but disappointed at the same time.
“On the contrary,” I muttered almost to myself, but Luke lightly squeezed my ankle and then let go, sighing to himself. As if relaxing. As if it dawned on him that he was exactly where he wanted to be right now.
“All done,” he said after a moment, gently lifting my leg to assess his work. I leaned in, curious, but the clean, warm scent of him caught me first, making my thoughts stumble. And then I saw it—a drawing of a girl holding a book to her chest, surrounded by trees and flowers, like in her own garden. The whole piece felt alive, as if it had been growing there all along. It was breathtaking. I hadn’t realized he could draw like that. My mouth opened to tell him so, but nothing came out.
“Luke, it’s gorgeous,” I finally managed to get out. “Thank you,” I whispered, wanting to keep this moment just for us. I traced the drawing lightly with my fingers.
“Seemed fitting, given your insane love for books,” he said, watching me. It was so pretty, I might even turn it into a real tattoo. I quickly snapped a photo, and Luke smiled.
Could I save his smile on my phone, too? Speaking of...
“Hey, let’s take a photo together,” Summer said.
“I’ll take it,” I volunteered and got up.
“Nonsense, I have a tripod,” Ava said, running off. I hesitated. Should I really be in so many photos of them? They’re really close as a group, and I’m kind of a third wheel. Or... eighth wheel. On a seven-wheel car? I don’t know much about vehicles. Not that I don’t want to be in one, but clearly they’re like a family and have been for quite some time. And I... well, I serve them coffee.
Ava returned with the tripod, and I set it up while they got comfortable on the couch.
“Oh, by the way,” Norah said excitedly, “Logan and I have our wedding anniversary in three weeks. Mark your calendars. We’re having a party. Logan’s mom is making her famous lemon pie.”
“Oh, I love that thing,” Ava chimed in.
“Hazel, you should come too,” Norah added, surprising me. My first instinct was to laugh.
“Oh, please, I don’t even belong here, let alone at your anniversary with your family and friends,” I muttered to myself, but suddenly, the party stopped. I stopped it. Damn it.
Seven confused faces stared at me. Norah and Logan looked like they missed the joke. Luke had a frown on his face that was more than confusion. He looked... bothered.
“I’m just kidding,” I said quickly, adjusting the tripod. “Let’s take the photo.”
“No, you’re not,” Norah asked, suddenly standing in front of me. “Why would you say that?”
I let out a nervous laugh, unsure of what to say. It was ridiculous. An embarrassing confession I wished I could take back. These were Luke’s friends, not mine. I didn’t truly belong here. This trip was just a pity vacation disguised as a favor, and deep down, I had always known it. But the silence dragged on.
“Look, guys...” I hesitated, trying to escape the moment, but the truth clawed its way out. I dropped my gaze, unable to meet their eyes. “I just don’t think I’m supposed to be here.”
“Hazel,” Luke’s voice cut through the tension. Smooth as silk and as pitiful as I expected. “Why do you think that?” A hint of frustration slipped into his voice, betraying him. Usually, he hid his emotions so much better. But so did I.
Everyone stared, waiting for an answer. Guilt tightened in my chest. It was the weed that made me do these silly confessions. I shouldn’t have smoked so much.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond grateful to be here. You’re all incredible, easily the funniest, coolest group I’ve ever met, but...” I trailed off, feeling utterly out of place.
“A part of me feels like an impostor. What you have is rare. You’re like family. I’m happy to help however I can, but the truth is, I’m not part of this family, so setting a boundary feels right. Because,” I let out a small laugh, “you don’t want a strange girl in your photos from ten years ago who used to bring you coffee.” I wasn’t being self-deprecating, just realistic. Keeping my emotions in check. Avoiding false expectations.
Then, before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “You’re all so nice to me, I can’t even handle it gracefully.” A sting burned in the corner of my eyes, and I covered them, ashamed of my stupid feelings.
“Hazel.” A soft voice approached, followed by two hands on my shoulders. “Nobody expects you to earn your place here,” Norah said. “We’re all happy you’re with us, and we love your company. It’s as you just said—a rare thing we all have. We all know that. It doesn’t mean there’s no room for more. For others.”
