“Can’t have that.” Julian’s voice was perfectly level, like his lips hadn’t set my face ablaze. “Lead the way.”
Micah spun back toward the house, then paused, tipping his head up at me. “Mom, you look weird.”
“It’s warm out, baby.” I swallowed. “Go tell them we’re coming.”
He shrugged and took off.
Julian looked at me, and there was nothing careful in it now, nothing contained. “After you,” he said quietly.
I went. But I could still feel where his lips had been, and I knew we’d just agreed to do nothing, and neither of us meant a word of it.
We went back inside, and the family that was left was in the living room watching basketball and talking softly.
Tre clocked us walking in and his entire face lit. “Well, well. Welcome back. Y’all enjoy the gazebo?”
“Tre.” Julian glared at him.
Tre was watching me with barely contained amusement that made me want to throw something at him. I gave him my courtroom face and he laughed and went back to his cake.
Aunt Lorraine made a small humming sound from her chair that was not aimed at any specific person.
An hour later, Micah was passed out on a chair. “I should get home,” I said.
“I’ll help you carry him out,” Julian offered.
Aunt Lorraine, without looking up, but very loud shouted, “You hear that, Reggie?”
“I heard.”
“Julian’s helping carry the boy out.”
“I heard, Rannie.”
“Mmm.”
Julian lifted Micah up and settled his head against his shoulder, walking out of the house ahead of me.
My car was at the end of Simone’s driveway, which was nearly empty. Julian leaned in carefully, settled Micah into the seat, and pulled his seatbelt over him. He closed the door without slamming it and turned to me.
“So,” he said.
“So.”
“Still on for our run Tuesday morning?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, get home safe, Lyss.”
“You too.”
He stepped back. Did not touch me or lean in. The air between us was holding what it was holding and we were both, very carefully, choosing not to put a hand on it.
In the rearview, as I pulled out of the driveway, I saw him still standing where I had left him, watching me go.
He raised one hand. I raised one back.
Then I turned onto the road, and the trees closed behind me, and I drove the whole way home with the radio off, Micah asleep in the back seat, and my cheek still tingling from the feel of Julian’s lips.
