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Chapter Twenty-Three
Hollyn padded into her kitchen in thick, fuzzy socks and yoga pants, humming a little tune. Jasper had headed home to shower and change clothes since he had a late-morning shift at the coffee bar today. After he’d left, she’d felt inspired and had typed up a few posts. She’d even started drafting a review of the Hail Yes group. She wanted to do that one on video and surprise Jasper. But until then, she’d get to spend some one-on-one time with Cal because Jasper had a packed schedule for the next two days and she’d taken the time off to spend with her BFF.
She opened the fridge and pulled out the orange juice, debating whether she should offer to make breakfast or take Cal to a jazz brunch. When she set the juice down and reached for a glass from the cabinet, the floorboards squeaked behind her.
“Morning.” Cal’s deep voice rumbled through the quiet kitchen.
“Morning.” She turned with a smile and then winced at the ashen face of her best friend. “Oh shit. I thought you said you could handle your alcohol. You look like roadkill.”
Cal grunted and scrubbed his hands over his face. “I can usually handle it fine. But I may havepanic stationfinished off that half bottle of wine you had in the fridge after you went to bed. I may behella goodhating myself right now.”
“You finished the wine?” Her eyebrows lifted. “Okay, George Thorogood. You drink alone?”
“I wasn’t exactlykill the lightsalone.” He reached past her to grab a glass from her cabinet and then filled it with tap water. “I needed tohella gooddrink so I wouldn’t tic all over the place with your new friend. You know how it is with strangers.”
“You and Jasper hung out?” she asked, turning her back to him to pour her juice and trying to sound nonchalant. She hoped Cal had slept hard and hadn’t heard anything this morning. Talk about awkward.
“We talked for a while before he went to bed. Your bed.” Cal sniffed. “I didn’t realize y’all were at thepanic stationsleeping-over stage already. Seems fast.”
She turned at that, frowning. “Seems fast? Okay, Mr. Judgy.”
He took a long sip of water. “I’m just saying, how long have you been seeing this guy? Half a second?”
“Not that it’s your business but over a month. Would you like a side of bacon with that slut-shaming?”
He grunted. “I’m nothella goodshaming you. I’m just—”
But she was too irritated at the implication to let him finish. “You’re just telling me a month is too fast. So the only women you sleep with are long-term girlfriends?”
“No, I’m saying thatkill the lightsI don’t have anyonesleeping over,” he said in frustration. “That’s different than sex.”
She rolled her eyes. “So you just send them on their way when you’re done? Because that’s better.”
Cal took another gulp of water and eyed her, his mouth in a grim line, his shoulder shrugging. “I’m not trying to be akill the lightsdick. And I’m not judging you for hooking up. It’s just… I’m worried about you, okay? Sleeping next to someone can make something feel more serious than it actuallyhella goodis. It makes it feel…like something real.”
Something real.An ache went through her.
“I know it’s not that serious, all right?” she said with a petulant tone. Her stomach twisted in a knot, though, Cal’s point feeling all too close to that rush of emotion she’d been hit with this morning. “It’s not like Jasper is leading me on or something. We’re just having fun and seeing where things go.”
Cal stared at her over the rim of his glass, his gaze bordering on pitying. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Cal,” she groaned. “Where is this coming from? You were the one who wanted me to put myself out there. Here I am, putting myself out there.”
“Emphasis on the ‘putting out’part. Multiple times.”
She gasped and grabbed a kitchen towel from the edge of the sink and tossed it at him. “Cal Summers, you shut your face.”
He smirked, though the humor didn’t make it to his eyes, and caught the towel. “Your walls arerolling stonethin, Tate.”
Her face burned and she knew she had to be red up to her hairline. “A best friend would pretend he’d heard nothing.”
He set his glass down and stepped closer. He snapped the towel toward her, catching her lightly on the thigh. “A best friend would not subject her former boyfriend to hearing herhella goodscrew another dude.Oh, Jasper. God. Yes. Right there.”
“I hate you,” she said with a huff.
“I love you, too.” He pulled her into a one-armed hug and kissed the top of her head. “But take mykill the lightsadvice. Scratch the itch with the actor and move on. He’s a flighty one. Told me if he caught a break, he’dhella goodbail on this town in a hot minute.”
Hollyn stiffened and pulled back. “What? No. He’s trying to buy a theater here.”
