Page 23 of The Best Shot

“Just your snoring,” I said.

“I don’t snore.”

“Girl,” Yasmine said, settling into the armchair. “You could wake the dead.”

Annie’s middle finger went up again, and just like that, we were back to ourselves. Or close enough to fake it.

Annie demanded breakfast. Ava came downstairs looking unreasonably well-rested, and Grant topped off the pot and took up his usual spot by the counter, a man whose world made sense as long as the coffee was hot, the dog was alive, and Ava was within reach.

Tabby and Nico came down last, looking exactly like two people who’d had a good night and had no reason to pretend otherwise. Yasmine and me, though? We were over here having a completely normal, totally fine morning.

Ava caught my eye across the kitchen and raised her mug in a little toast. To a successful evening. I raised mine back.

The conversation moved on to breakfast, who was making what, whether anybody wanted to go out, and I sat there with my coffee and participated in all of it like nothing had changed.

Except I kept looking at her.

Little things I’d noticed for years without ever letting myself dwell on them. She laughed at Annie’s nonsense, tucked one leg under herself in that big chair, held her coffee cup with both hands like she was trying to warm herself from the inside out.

She caught me once, and I looked away first.

The coffee was strong and bitter and didn’t help. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel her lips on my skin.

The girl from Ricochet had snorted and said Nah, I’m good, and it had bothered me. Yasmine had folded my shirt and started the coffee and walked into the kitchen like nothing happened, and that bothered me in a way that was entirely different and a hell of a lot harder to ignore.

Male friends had the decency to let you stay stupid. Case in point, Nico on the stairs.

The problem was I wasn’t stupid. I just had very good—really bad—habits.

And standing in Ava’s kitchen on a Friday morning, watching Yasmine’s smile while I tried to remember what my face was supposed to look like, I was starting to realize I’d run clean out of places to file her.

6

SPICE CABINET

Ava: Okay, so Sophie was a bust.

Tabby: to be fair, your setup did work. she left with Carter

Ava: She was SUPPOSED to leave with Hale.

Annie: the way he two-stepped her over to Carter. masterclass

Tabby: he could just not be interested in dating right now, Ava.

Ava: No. He’s interested. Nobody at Ricochet that much unless they’re an alcoholic, trying to meet someone or avoiding home.

Yasmine: Maybe the man just likes being outside.

Ava: No. He’s lonely.

Annie: some people like being alone

Ava: Some people do. But not him.

Tabby: and you know this how?

Ava: Because I have eyes. And emotional intelligence. And unlike some of y’all, I pay attention.