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“Here I am, trying to help you out in a difficult situation, and you repay me by being surprised that I can read.”
While he’d been drowning in her, busy unspooling the filthiest of thoughts, she must have been at work, because there were ten digits written on his palm—just enough for a phone number. And underneath, three letters that knocked the breath out of his chest. Rue.
“Dude, you have a budget of fifty words per day, and you use six of them to give me shit?”
“Did you see Hark today?” Maya’s tone was the personification of casual disinterest. Eli swallowed a snort and sat on the stool next to hers. “How is he?” “Still not age appropriate for you.” “I think he’s into me.” “I think it’s a felony.” “Hasn’t been for a while, since I am almost twenty-two years old.” Tiny whimpered softly at Eli’s feet, as though in agreement. Traitor.
His eyebrow rose. “Hark doesn’t do relationships, either.” “That’s fine. I don’t want to marry him. I just want to—” “Do not say it.” “—use his beautiful, former rower’s body.” “She fucking said it,” he mumbled. “Can you please not put in my head images that a therapist will have me reenact with dolls five years down the line?” “But it’s so fun.”
“Good boy,” he told Tiny when he brought back a stick Eli had never thrown. He tossed it, then smiled fondly as Tiny ran in the wrong direction to fetch it. My best friend in the whole world, ladies and gentlemen.
“I’m sorry.” His Adam’s apple moved. “I forget to look at other things, when you’re around.”
the weekly calendar Tisha had given me as a Christmas present. Each page had a different selfie. Of Tisha.
I love this idea for a prank gift
“I know. Let’s get dinner. To celebrate,” Minami offered. “Just the two of us, no Sul or Hark. I’m tired of my stupid husband and your stupid husband getting in the way of our affair.”
He gathered his stuff, and couldn’t help chuckling when she began chanting, “He was a skater boy, he said, ‘See you later, boy.’ ”
“Don’t leave—let’s all have dinner together! It’s always the four of us. I’m bored to tears with these three.” Eli’s muttered “wow” came at the same time as Hark’s snorted “harsh” and Sul’s stoic “we’re married, but okay.”
“Besides, I parked behind your Kia, and you’re going to need some crazy maneuvers to get out. Are you good at that stuff?” She winced. “Absolutely not.”
“And it looks like you’re doing Florence Kline’s friend. And it looks like you brought her into the house you share with your very young sister.” “Maya’s in her twenties. She has people spending the night all the time.” Hark’s scowl deepened. “Dude, what is your deal?”
He was absolutely charmed by her inability to interact with his dog.
“Hey, Conor,” she teased. Her cheekbones were flushed pink. From the night chill, Eli hoped. Except it was June. In Texas. “Hi, Maya.” Hark nodded, pointedly looking elsewhere. He was always nice enough to pretend not to notice Eli’s sister’s crush, but did a miserable job of it. “There’s leftover risotto in the kitchen,” Eli said. When his sister left, Hark’s eyes followed her.
Then my damn sister developed a very age-inappropriate crush on Hark, and the triangle became a square. I might just hate all of them.” “You are clearly the real victim of the situation.” “So glad that came across.” “Are Maya and Hark…?” “No. God, no.” “Well, as far as you know,” I added, just to annoy him. His glare had me laughing.
“As much as I wish all this wellness for my sister…not with Hark.”
“You never try to be anything but what you are.” We stopped by his vehicle. “I think people are puzzled, and intimidated, and generally unsure of what to do with you.” “You are not unsure.” “No. Then again, I like you very much.”
“You can’t act this way around her, okay? Because she’s going to get sad. And if she gets sad, then I’m going to get mad. And there will be consequences.”
I’m not going to follow the rules, Rue. I’m not going to behave. I’m not going to pretend this is enough.
“Whenever you want to feel like this,” he murmured at the inside of her thigh, “call me. Use me.” Her heels dug into his back like little fists. “I think about doing it every second of every day anyway.”
If I were able to love someone, I would choose you. In that timeline, I would want it to be you.
“Out of all the people I’ve met, the things I’ve wanted, the places I’ve been, none has ever felt as necessary as you do. Because I love you. I love you in a way I didn’t think I was capable of. I love you because you showed me how to fall in love. And I don’t regret it, Rue. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Even if you can never say it back. Even if you never think about me again after today. Even if you were right after all, and you’re not capable of love.”
“Please don’t say that the real equity in the biofuel tech was the friends we made along the way.” He set his beer on the small glass table and locked eyes with her. “Minami, I’m going to ask you to get off my porch and go fuck right off.” She let out a sound that Eli could only describe as a cackle. “Sul says I’m funny.” “Sul’s more whipped than a bowl of mashed potatoes.”
They were already moving in unison. Like they were meant to be, or some shit.
(I had to admit, however, that Tiny had grown on me.) (I was ready to die for that beast, and I was not prone to exaggeration.)
