I roll my eyes andthrow a pillow at her. She laughs and then puts the pillow back on my bed whereit belongs. “I’m kidding, Alexa. I will take good care of your bakery whileyou’re gone. I promise.”
“I know,” I say,feeling guilty for asking so many questions. We’ve spent all week prepping formy trip, so I know things are all set. “So, now that I’m all packed, I think weneed coffee.”
Livi nods inagreement. “Your coffee is amazing.”
We head out of mybedroom and into my tiny apartment kitchen. “My coffee is just regular coffee,you nerd.”
“No,” she says,shaking her head. “Your coffee is better than other coffee. I don’t know why.”
“Maybe it’s myamazing culinary skills,” I say, twirling my hands around like I’m a magician.
I get to making thetwo very normal cups of coffee that Livi loves so much, and then we sit out onmy tiny little balcony to drink it.
I wince after takinga sip. “Ugh. Sometimes my wrist still hurts.” I hold the hot coffee cup up tomy wrist like a makeshift heating pad.
“I’m sorry,” Livisays, crinkling her nose. “That’s so shitty.”
A few months ago, Istupidly fell off a ladder in my bakery and broke my wrist. Luckily, I didn’tneed surgery on it, just a cast for eight weeks, but ever since it’s beenhealed, it still hurts every now and then. That’s actually how Livi got so goodat making my secret cupcake recipes. When I couldn’t bake as well with one arm,I stood beside her and taught her how to do it. Thanks to Livi, my bakery wasable to stay open while I was out of commission. Now she’s a really good bakereven though she doesn’t give herself much credit. I think dropping out ofcollege to care for her dying grandmother has really harmed her self-worth.Mason and I are always telling her she should go back to college.
“So what’s up withmy cousin?” I ask, taking a sip of coffee. I want to mention college again, butI don’t want to put her in an awkward spot right now, so I decide to belighthearted. “Ya’ll are still in the honeymoon phase of your relationship,right? Even though it’s been like, forever?”
She blushes alittle as she stares into her coffee. “It’s only been a few months, but I guessyou could say that. We never fight or anything.”
“That’s good. Masonisn’t much of a fighter. He likes to talk out his problems.”
“We also never haveany problems,” she says. “So it’s been amazing.Heis amazing.”
“Youare also amazing,” I tell her. Andit’s true. Mason didn’t have a good record of dating women before he met Livi.He’s such a good man—kind and caring and loyal—and I thought he’d never findthe right girl. And then Livi showed up. It was right after her sweetgrandmother had died, and I started to wonder why I didn’t befriend her sooner.She’s great. It’s no wonder why my cousin is so totally in love with her.
“I’m glad thingsare good,” I say.
“There’s just oneweird thing,” Livi says after a moment. There’s a crease in her brows as shestares out at the field in front of us.
“And that thingis…?” I pry.
She sighs. “So …like … the only reason I live at his house is because I was originally rentinga room from him … but now we’re dating, and I end up sleeping in his bed withhim most of the time … and I only go back to my room to change clothes.”
“So, move into hisroom,” I say.
“That’s just it!”She leans forward a little, like she’s telling me a juicy secret. “I don’t knowif I should? If he wants me to? I mean, he has been refusing to let me pay himrent, but still … at what point do I go from a girl living in his sparebedroom, to his live-in girlfriend who shares a room with him?”
“I’d say the secondya’ll started sleeping together every night,” I say with a laugh.
Livi’s cheeks aresuper red right now. “I just don’t want to ask him. It feels awkward.” Sheleans back in her chair and cups her coffee mug with both hands. “I guess Iwanthimto askmeto officially move in with him and turn my room back into theguest room.”
“Want me to talk tohim?” I offer.
“Absolutely not,”Livi says, giving me a serious look. “I would die of mortification.”
I chuckle. “Okay,okay. I won’t say anything.” Then I put my fingers to my lips and pretend tozip them closed.
Chapter 2
In the morning,Mason and Livi drive me to the airport. In the passenger drop-off area, we allclimb out of Mason’s tall truck and he retrieves my suitcase from the back. I’msmiling from the jokes we told on the drive, but now that I’m here, I’m alittle nervous about the convention. I still worry that no one will take meseriously as a businesswoman. Visions of being mistaken for an usher or awaitress float across my worried mind.
“Call me if youneed anything,” Mason says, handing over my suitcase.
“I’ll be inArizona,” I say. “You couldn’t help me even if you wanted to.”
