“Absolutely,” Bianca said, looking me over again. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Felix headed for the door, giving me every excuse to jog after him to catch up, leaving my new admirer behind.
“That happens to you a lot, huh?” he asked as he pushed the glass door open, motioning for me to go first.
“Kinda, yeah,” I admitted.
“Sorry for dragging you into it,” he said, heading for his rental car, and then pausing to look around the parking lot. “Uh, is your truck…”
“I walked,” I said. “But I’ll let you drive me.”
The shower had been great, but my muscles were still complaining about being stretched in ways they weren’t used to. On the plus side, I was going to besoflexible by the time Marnie got back.
“So you, uh… also work at the gym?” Felix asked, hands shoved deep in his pockets as we headed for his car.
“I’m a man of many talents,” I said. “I like being around people. And then I like to use all the free time not having a real job gives me to… not be around people.”
Felix raised an eyebrow.
I waved at the mountains on the horizon, in the general direction of Felix’s cabin. “It’s beautiful country,” I said. “And y’know, Dad was always…”
“Taking you camping and stuff, yeah,” Felix nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”
“This is where he used to take us. I dunno if anyone but me and Mom really remembers that, but I think about it a lot,” I said quietly. “So. I always feel like the trees might remember him, too.”
Felix’s face did something complicated that ended in him looking up at me, eyes wide and soft. I fiddled with the strap on my gym bag, suddenly self-conscious.
Something touched my elbow, and it took me a moment to realize it was Felix’s hand.
“I wish I could’ve been there for you.Reallybeen there for you, after the first part. But I guess you had Carter?”
“I love Carter with my whole heart,” I said. “But between you and me? It wasn’t the same.”
Felix squeezed my elbow, and then held up the car keys. “Lunch,” he said. “You clearly need to refuel post-workout. I’m almost positive that’s how that works.”
The corner of my lip twitched up into a smile. Felix always had a way of making me smile. It wasn’t evenwhathe said, it was the way he said it.
“I bet that was your first time in a gym,” I said, opening the passenger-side door and dumping my bag in the footwell.
“It literally was,” Felix agreed. “I’m scarred for life, thank you for giving me an excuse never to go back.”
* * *
“I’m sorry,what?”I asked, burger halfway to my mouth, all but forgotten.
Felix shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, tracing a pattern on the table with the tip of his finger. “You don’t have to do it. It’s a stupid thing to ask.”
“It… it’s not…”
He wanted me to pretend to be his boyfriend, which wasn’t necessarily a ridiculous request, it was just…
I took a bite to give myself time to answer, trying to get my brain past thinking that this wasexactlywhat had happened to Carter andnowlook at him.
… he was happy.
That wasn’t the helpful thought my brain presented it as.
“It’s okay to say no,” Felix said. “I’m asking a lot, I’m asking a ridiculous amount, actually. I have no claim on your time and you’ve been so kind to me, IknowI’m overreaching—”
