The couch had been a thrift store find that Morgan—my best friend—had helped me reupholster in vegan leather. The coffee table, Kieran had helped me sand, stain, and polish after we’d found it in the garage, a relic from before our time.
There was heart in this room, and I liked to think it made people more at ease.
It was definitely helping me.
“Not what I expected,” Carter concluded. “Nice,” he added.
I grinned at him like I was sixteen years old again and he was complimenting the brownies I’d made at school.
“Sit,” I said, gesturing at the couch. “I can tell you’re nervous and I want you to know it’s fine to be that way and I’m not gonna judge you for it.”
Carter perched on the edge of the couch, fingers clasped together, resting on his knees.
“I’m not here for a tattoo, although I’m flattered you think I’mthatbrave.”
“Piercing?” I offered. He would have suited having his ears done, a little glint of silver in each one to match his eyes.
Carter hissed through his teeth. “Ouch. No, I, uh… this really is stupid, but I guess I’m here now.”
I sat down next to him on the couch, inner teenager freaking out at the proximity.
“My sister’s getting married on Saturday,” Carter said to his clasped hands, looking anywhere but at me.
“Oh, uh. Congrats to her?”
Why was he telling me this?
Carter’s cute pink tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Yeah, sure, Damien seems like a good guy. He’s Canadian. The wedding is in Canada.”
“And you… want a French lesson?” I asked. Where the hell was thisgoing?
That finally made Carter look at me.
“You speak French?”
Shit,didhe want a French lesson?
Could I resist the temptation to make a joke about kissing him?
“Enough to get myself in trouble,” I admitted. “You didn’t take French in high school?”
Carter shook his head. “No. No, uh. That’s… cool. Might come in handy.”
“It does,” I said. “We’re practically walking distance to Canada from here.”
“Slow Falls isnotwalking distance to Canada,” Carter said.
“Depends on how much time you’ve got.” I shrugged. Upstate New York was, in my opinion, basically walking distance to Canada. “I guess you have basically none, with your job and all.”
Last I’d heard of Carter, he was working in the city. Which meant he’d stopped dropping by the house on the weekends. And then Kieran had moved into his own place, and I’d never seen him again.
Until today.
“Yeah, umm.” Carter ran a hand through those loose, glossy, touchable curls. Which was unfair, becauseIwanted to run a hand through them.
Even his voice was different now, rumbling and even, still as quiet as ever, like he couldn’t have shouted even if he wanted to.
“Look, I’ll just come out with it and let you say no and close up shop in peace,” he said in a rush. “I asked Kieran to come to the wedding with me and he said no, but he also said you might go instead. With me. To my sister’s wedding.”
