“Interesting …”
I stop mid-step, glancing over. Something coils tight in my gut, but I push it aside. “What’s interesting?” I wait for him to elaborate, but when he doesn’t, I sigh. “Out with it. Who’s Adriana bringing?” He’s getting too much pleasure out ofdragging this out, and not only do we still have a lot of shit to do today, but frankly, I’m just not in the mood.
Felix clearly is in a great mood though because a grin practically splits his face in two as he says, “Adriana is bringing that hockey guy. Kenji."
A dull ache settles in the back of my skull. Kenji? “The dude we did that double date with?”
Felix nods, eyes bright with anticipation. “Yeah, him. She’s bringing him to our house.” He leans in, his voice dropping like he’s revealing the world’s biggest secret. “And not as a friend. He’s coming as her date. Fuck—” he chuckles. “He might already be her boyfriend or some shit.”
I blink, still not getting the big deal. “Okay?” I shrug, tossing a few packs of tortillas into the cart. “What’s the problem? He’s decent. Not some frat douche.” He could have picked a better sport because really, hockey? But I mean, we all make mistakes in life.
Felix groans, planting his face in his hands. “Dude, you can’t be this dense. This isn’t just about him. It’s about Adriana bringing a date. To our place. The place where we,” he indicates the space between us, “live with three other guys. Any guesses over which one will take issue with Adriana bringing a date into his home?”
I stop short, the realization hitting me square in the face.
Shit.
Julio.
“Oh fuck.”
“Yeah. Fuck is right.” Felix says, voice almost gleeful now. “Shit’s gonna blow up today, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see some fireworks. This is like four or five years in the making.”
My mind churns with all the possible ways Julio might handle Adriana walking in with a date. None of them are good.Despite what Julio says, he has a thing for her. Always has, ever since we were kids. But he never seemed interested in crossing that line with her.
There was that one time he drunkenly made out with her at a party but according to Julio, it was a mistake and he didn’t realize who he was kissing in the moment. None of us really bought his story back then, but it wasn’t worth getting into. But now —
“Did you give J a heads up at least?” I push the cart toward the checkout, my chest tight.
Felix grins. “Where would the fun be in that?”
“Come on,” I tell him. “You’ve got to give the guy a warning.”
“Pass,” Felix says. “I’ve been starving for entertainment and I’m telling you, man, this BBQ is about to get real interesting.” He rubs his hands together. “I can hardly wait.”
I grimace. The last thing we need is drama, especially with the team coming over. “We can’t have him blowing up at the BBQ.”
Felix laughs, already grabbing the bags from the checkout. “Oh, yes. We can. It’s gonna be great. Like a fucking telenovela.” He’s already heading toward the door, excitement buzzing in his steps.
I jog to catch up, my mind tangled in thought. Julio, Adriana, Kenji. Maybe if we can keep them in separate parts of the house … If I can reduce the risk of them crossing paths …
We load the groceries into the truck and head straight back home. I get why Felix was in a hurry to return because I’m eager to get back to the house as well, though for entirely different reasons. Felix doesn’t want to miss the show. And I … I need to make sure one never starts.
As soon as we pull into the driveway, my eyes land on Cecilia’s white Jeep and an unfamiliar Ford Bronco parked in front of the house. That knot in my stomach twists tighter. I spotJulio through the large front window, arms folded, jaw clenched tight as he glowers at the world outside.
“Told you, man.” Felix lets out a low whistle. “Shit is about to go down.”
I stop dead, watching Julio, who’s staring at the Bronco like it personally insulted him. Shit. This is gonna get ugly.
Felix grins, practically skipping to the door. “Man, I give it fifteen minutes before Julio blows a gasket. This is gonna be epic.”
I shake my head, unease gnawing in my gut. “Epic or a disaster,” I mutter, following Felix up the steps.
My mind’s already working on damage control.
he staircase, wearing one of my hoodies, her smile hitting me like a shot of pure sunlight. Her eyes light up the moment they meet mine. I don’t even pause to think. I just react. Everyone and everything else in the room fades for a second. The bags of groceries I’m holding drop to the floor with a thud, and I close the distance between us in two long strides, sweeping her up into my arms.
She giggles, her legs latching around my waist as I lift her feet off the ground. Her laugh melts away the weight on my shoulders, and I tighten my grip on her thighs, pulling her closer. Cecilia wraps her arms around my neck, her body warm and familiar against mine.
