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“Mhmm. Arrived just in time for tonight.”
Something Mr. Truitt was clearly happy about, judging by the way he couldn’t take his eyes off his wife.
“But enough about that. Daire, it’s lovely to see you tonight. Gavin here told me you’d be joining us.”
“Yes. Thank you for inviting me.” I tried my hardest for a smile, but as out of practice as I was, I wondered if it looked more like a snarl.
“So how long have you two been cozying up with one another?”
“Mom.”
“What? I didn’t misunderstand that, did I? I thought you said you were dating?”
“Oh my God.” Gavin shook his head, his embarrassment a tangible thing as he stood next to me looking everywhere but at me. “We aren’t even sitting down yet.”
His mom’s lips tipped into a coy smile as she gestured to the table. “Then by all means, please sit.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat, wondering if anyone would notice if I just excused myself for the restroom and never came back.
“Kimberly, get back over here.” Gavin’s dad held his hand out to her, and she scooted in beside him. “You could’ve at least ordered them a drink before you started in on them.”
“Oh, stop it.” She waved a hand through the air. “You know me. When I’m excited about something, I can’t help myself.”
She wasexcitedabout the idea of my dating Gavin? Not horrified? I had to have heard that wrong.
“I think I always knew,” she said, grinning at the two of us. “There was just something special there.”
Gavin cleared his throat, and it was as if the nerves I’d been feeling all evening and afternoon were suddenly transferred to him. He was fidgeting with the hem of his suit jacket, and I reached over to put my hand over the top of his.
“I think you might be right,” I finally said, and Gavin’s eyes widened.
Gavin’s parents looked between the two of us with something I’d never expected to see directed my way—approval—and I decided right then the Truitt clan was pretty damn amazing.
“So was it the move that finally brought you both together?”
“Seriously, Mom?” Gavin snagged one of the waiters passing by. “Could I please get a gin and dubonnet, and a—”He looked my way.
“Reposado neat for me.”
The waiter nodded, and Gavin added, “As soon as possible.”
As he hurried off, Kimberly, not to be deterred, picked right up with where she’d left off.
“But it was so nice of Jacques to let you boys switch around like that. Especially with Kelly moving in with Van. This way, you won’t all be tripping over each other.”
Something I’d rather not think about at all. Donovan and Kelly were cool, but the last thing I wanted was an up-close, live version of a porn video I’d already watched. And I knew fordamnsure Gavin didn’t want to see that.
So Mr. LaRue—West’s dad, and the CEO of the Towers—had definitely done us a solid letting us play musical apartments. Kind of like the way he’d urged me to take one of them in the first place.
If it hadn’t been for his sizing me up as some loner in the corner at one of the Elysium events and suggesting I move into the Towers, I never would’ve met Gavin or the rest or the group, and I was just starting to realize how boring my life would’ve been.
“Well, I for one am happy to hear about all this,” Mr. Truitt said before taking a sip of his drink. “It makes a father worry a little less knowing his youngest has a strapping young man like you looking out for him.”
Looking out for Gavin? Oh shit, was he talking about what me and the guys had done to Joey and his douchebag friends? Had Donovan told them?No way.
“Gavin explained how you stepped in at the end of the year when he broke up with Joey.” Mr. Truitt’s eyes darkened, and I wondered how much he actually knew about what really happened. “We never got a chance to thank you back then for making sure he was okay, so I’d like to now. Thank you.”
“Yeah, of course.” I nodded. “No one will ever hurt him again.”
