I grunt a little but take it and twist the cap off. He isn’t looking at me; he’s watching Natalie. She’s standing next to Nora, and the two of them are playing cornhole with Griffin and Hero.
“Have you ever thought of telling her how you feel?”
“What are you talking about?” he asks, pulling his gaze from her to me and taking a drink.
“You clearly like Natalie.”
He just shakes his head.
“Don’t you?”
“I’m not having this conversation again,” he says and drops into one of his black Adirondack chairs.
“What are you two gossiping about?” Zane says as he and Simon join us.
“Tobias and Natalie,” I say.
Zane and Simon share a look.
“No, we were changing the subject,” Tobias cuts us all off.
Simon chuckles. “Fine by me. I came out here to ask Beck how things went with getting my sister moved in this afternoon.”
“You and Calla are living together?” Zane just about spits his beer out.
“It hasn’t even been a day, and fine, I guess. We rode here together and didn’t kill each other. Seems like steady progress.”
“Oh, cute,” Tobias says. “It’s like you’re a couple.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Well, it is, but none of my friends know that. But it’s also not because she doesn’t want this.
Fuck. I can’t keep my life straight right now. I need my computer to sort this out.
“Oh, you can live with a woman and be friends, but I can’t even look at one without you all jumping down my throat about it being more.”
My friends and I share a guilty look.
He has a point. I guess since Natalie and Griffin have been dating for more than a year now, maybe he doesn’t like her more than as a friend. It’s possible he’s just protective. They have been friends for about as long as our group has been.
“Sorry,” I say with sincerity. “I just always assumed, and that was wrong of me.”
“Oh fuck, don’t go all soft of me now. I’m just telling you how it is.”
“Hey, what are you guys doing?” Natalie pops up next to me with Griffin right behind her.
“I have to take a piss,” Tobias says and jumps up, practically jogging to the house.
It’s official: I’ll never understand how he and Natalie work.
“Talking about how my sister moved into Beck’s place today.”
“Oh my gosh.” Natalie beams. “I had no idea you were dating. Wow, I know I’ve been more absent lately than normal.” She rubs Griffin’s arms and smiles at him. He leans down to kiss her. “But I can’t believe I missed that.”
“You didn’t,” I answer as Simon chuckles.
“My basement flooded, and she just needs a place to stay. These two are the furthest thing from dating.”
