Page 135 of Vegas with my Ex’s Best Friends

“Yeah,” I say.

He nods once. Then turns and goes back downstairs.

Thirty minutes later, Connor and Sarah are at the front door ready to leave.

Sarah hugs me and says into my ear: “He's going to be okay. He just needs time to catch up to what he already knows.”

“I know,” I say.

She pulls back. “Your house is really great, Riley.”

Connor is shaking Liam's hand—actually shaking it, which I know was not easy for him, and Liam shakes back without making it weird, which is its own kind of gift. Connor nods at Andrew. Looks at Ethan.

“The risotto was good,” he says.

Ethan dips his head once. “I'll make the lamb next time.”

Connor looks at him. “There's a next time?”

“You said the risotto was good.”

“That's not what that means.”

“It is a little,” Ethan says.

Connor pulls me into a hug at the door and holds on a few seconds longer than he needs to. I feel the tension leave him.

“It’s a great house,” he says. Low, just for me.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He lets go. Clears his throat. “The yellow is still terrible.”

“We know,” Andrew says from behind me.

“Unanimously,” Ethan adds.

“I hate all of you,” Liam says.

Connor almost smiles. He follows Sarah down the front steps and I stand in the doorway and watch them go.

***

We don't go upstairs right away.

We stand in the kitchen instead, doing the messy part—dishes, leftovers, the entropy of a dinner that went long. Ethan starts on the pots. Andrew wipes down the table thoroughly.

“He shook your hand,” I say to Liam.

“He did.”

“I know.” He takes a sip of wine. “I'm choosing not to make it a thing by pointing out it's a thing.”

“That's very mature.”

“I'm very mature.”

I laugh. Ethan glances over from the sink. He doesn’t look away at first Andrew dries a pan and puts it away.