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“What?”
She flicked her hand between them. “This. How things are between us.”
He scoffed. “Chris, I don’t know what you expect. You and my best friend screwed behind my back. While I was still recovering from a catastrophic injury. The minute I wasn’t Captain America anymore, you jumped ship. It doesn’t leave a guy with great feelings.”
She rolled her lips together and shook her head. “I know. I’m so sorry for how things happened. In no world is that okay. I know you’ll never believe me, but what happened with Josh had nothing to do with your injury and everything to do with how I felt when I started spending time with him. It made me realize that what I felt for you was affection and friendship but not that turn-your-world-inside-out kind of love. If we had gotten married, it wouldn’t have lasted. We didn’t have thatthing, that thing that gets couples through all the hard stuff. In the end, this was best for both of us.”
The words stung like vinegar over a cut. Maybe she hadn’t loved him, but he’d loved her. “Right. So you’re the heroine in this story? Saving us from our doomed fate by cheating on me? Got it. Where’s that medal of honor? Let’s schedule the award ceremony.”
Her jaw flexed. “I’m trying to be honest with you, but I guess you don’t want to hear it. You want to be the victim.” She stood. “You know, I hope one day you realize I’m right about how we would’ve turned out and stop feeling sorry for yourself. It’s not a good look, Dawson.”
He kept his expression mild. “Are we done here?”
She crossed her arms. “Yeah, I guess we are.”
He smirked. “I look forward to my wedding invitation. I’m assuming you’ll toast me for bringing you two together.”
“God, you’re such a dick sometimes.” She grabbed her phone off the table and strode out.
“One of my finest qualities,” he muttered as she left.
When he was alone again, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face, exhausted by the exchange. He didn’t want to fight with Chris. He didn’t want to shareanyemotion with her anymore. But every time he saw her, it reminded him of who he was now, of the life he’d lost. She was moving on. Marriage. A baby. She was heading toward the future he thought would be his.
And what the fuck was he moving toward?
Another night at home alone with a stack of cookbooks and no one to cook for.
He couldn’t face that solitude tonight. He glanced at Andi’s book, and without thinking too hard about it, he grabbed his phone. It’d been almost a week since the night he’d slept over. He’d gotten an alarm and new locks installed. He’d checked on her a few times, but they’d both been busy and hadn’t talked much. She’d said to let him know when he was ready for a movie. He’d responded vaguely.
He was tired of being vague.
He found her name in his contacts.
She answered on the second ring. “Hey, Werewolf, what are you doing awake during daylight hours?”
Just the sound of her upbeat voice smoothed some of the jagged edges his conversation with Christina had caused. “Shh. I’m in my human form during the day. Don’t tell anyone my secret.”
She laughed. “Your secret is safe with me. What’s up?”
He picked up his fork and stabbed at his napkin, steeling himself for a no. “I was wondering if you wanted to make tonight our inaugural movie night? I know it’s last minute and if you have plans or work to—”
“I’m in,” she said, cutting him off.
“Yeah?” His shoulders relaxed and his lips curved.
“Absolutely. That sounds perfect actually. I’ve edited two podcast episodes today and spent last night wrestling with writer’s block. I could use a break.” She made a sound like she was covering a yawn. “You have any special requests for the first movie? Ghosts? Slasher? Monsters? Trashy? Sophisticated?”
“I’m a true horror virgin, so maybe let’s start out with something you consider foundational. I might not appreciate a later movie as much if I haven’t seen what came before.”
“Ooh, foundational,” she said, enthusiasm in her voice. “Is it nerdy that you saying that totally makes me want to build a lesson plan so I can school you?”
An image of Andi with glasses, a ruler, and a stern teacher expression flashed through his brain. Blood rushed south. He cleared his throat, trying to push away the pervy thoughts. “I’m fully prepared to be schooled.”
“Yay!” she said with glee.
He closed his eyes and absorbed the exclamation points in her voice. Her unchecked enthusiasm was like inhaling a warm spring breeze after a long winter. He loved her utter lack of self-consciousness about how she was feeling. After what he went through as a kid, he’d spent his life honing his stoicism. When enough kids bait you withHey, freak, I heard your dad’s a drughead, you learn not to react to anything. To see someone so…out therelike Andi was a novelty.
“I’ve got lots of movies I can pick from,” she went on. “Why don’t you come over around seven?”
