“Yep,” I said, rolling my eyes good-naturedly. “How could I missDie Hardon Christmas?”
Josh’s friend gave a wide smile. “You’re in for a wild ride. Who needs a Christmas rom-com when you’ve got this? Hi. I’m Matt.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Brielle.”
“Brielle! Good to have ya. I told Josh that he could bring someone around if he wanted to tonight. He keeps talking about you.”
“Oh.” I glanced at Josh. He didn’t say anything. It was my turn, I guessed, to set the record straight much like Josh did our first night out at the bar when he ran into an old co-worker, even if the words felt stiff coming out. “Must not be me. We aren’t together or anything. My friend—his sister is my friend, and now we live together, but just as friends.”
Matt pressed his lips together and nodded. “I think I got it. Either way, glad to have you.Mi casa es tu casa.There are drinks in the fridge and snacks out.”
“Thanks.”
Once Matt headed to the kitchen to grab himself a drink, Josh stepped behind me, his hands brushing my shoulders as he helped slide off my coat. He’d done the same thing earlier, and just like before, the sensation lit a current of awareness down my spine. I told myself it was just the temperature difference between inside and out, but we both knew better.
As I turned slightly, he leaned in close, his breath grazing the shell of my ear. “You didn’t have to do that.”
I blinked, tilting my head to glance up at him. “Do what?”
“Tell Matt we weren’t together.” Josh’s jaw shifted. He didn’t quite meet my eyes.
“It’s not a big deal,” I said with a shrug, trying to downplay the weird tightness in my chest. “I just figured maybe you wanted that line drawn. Like at the bar, with your other friend the other week. I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
Josh gave a short nod. “All good.”
But something in the way he’d said it told me it wasn’t.
I didn’t press.
We moved deeper into the apartment, which, in contrast to our shared space, felt freshly scrubbed and expensive. Wide windows spilled soft light across mid-century furniture, and I could see the blinking red of a water tank on a neighboring rooftop. A little oasis tucked into the city skyline.
A few of Josh’s friends greeted us with nods and casual warmth. One of them practically melted into the couch with a girl snoozing on his shoulder.
“Nice to meet you, Brielle.” They each offered a friendly smile.
“Nice to meet you too.”
“How do you know Josh?”
“My sister,” Josh answered quickly before I could open my mouth.
“That’s cool. You new to the city or a repeat offender, like this guy?”
“I’ve been here a few months,” I said, tucking my hands into the sleeves of my oversized cardigan sweater. “Still trying to find a job though.”
“What do you do?”
“She’s a writer,” Josh said, quick, confident. Still not looking at me.
I glanced over at him.
“She’s got a newsletter with asolidaudience,” he added.
I wouldn’t say a solid audience. “It’s new.”
“That’s awesome,” the guy replied, impressed. “What kind of stuff do you write?”
“Mostly essays right now,” I said. “Stories, I guess. It’s a little bit of everything.”
