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I see her throat move as she swallows, and I can tell she’s nervous. I feel like I should say something, but I don’t want to make Drew more suspicious than he already is.
“I did. That’s when I met him.”
She’s blushing, but thankfully, Drew doesn’t notice.
“Well, what’s his name?”
“Whose?”
“The guy you’re seeing?”
Without thinking, I blurt out the first name that comes to mind. “Toby.” I squeeze my eyes closed and curse to myself. “He’s kind of quiet.”
She doesn’t make eye contact with him as she picks at her food.
“You mean a dork?” I speak up, breaking the awkward tension.
She glares at me right on cue, and I wink in her direction. “If by dork, you mean has a higher IQ than you can count, then yes.”
I release a cough to choke back the laugh that threatens to release. Fuck, she’s good—always throwing shit right back at me.
“Isn’t Courtney’s boyfriend named Toby?” Drew asks, breaking the spell between us.
“Uh, yeah. Well, he was. They broke up a while ago.” She grabs her phone, and her fingers begin flying over the screen. “Actually, I was going to invite her over to meet Gryff, if you don’t mind.”
Drew shrugs, his mind suddenly occupied, and I want to high-five Viola for her quick, witty answers.
We finish eating in silence, and I watch as Viola feeds Gryff scraps off her plate. Her phone dings with messages from Courtney. Using her to sidetrack Drew was brilliant on Viola’s part—another reason to reward her later.
Just as we’re cleaning up the table, Courtney walks in and immediately squeals when she sees the puppy.
“Oh my God!” She bends down and picks him up. “He’s so cute!”
“I told you!” Viola beams.
“I just want to smother my face in his fur!”
“Quit making it weird, Court.” Viola laughs and leads them both into the living room, leaving Drew and me alone in the kitchen.
“This thing with Mia is really bothering you, huh?” I try to make small talk because I’m not really sure if he wants to talk about her or not.
“Yeah, I have a feeling it’s something bad. Did she say anything to you that night?”
“Well, actually, there’s something I’ve been torn about telling you or not, but I figured it was best to let Mia tell you instead.”
“Fuck, man. I don’t know if I can wait that long. I can’t focus on anything.”
Before I can respond, Courtney lets out a loud laugh, directing us both toward the living room. I watch Drew’s facial expression soften, and I know he could use a good distraction right now.
“I’m going to the pet store to pick out some toys and food for Gryff. He’ll probably need something to do while you’re at school,” I say to Viola as I head toward the door, hoping she catches the hint.
I take a step behind Drew and nod my head toward him and then once again at Courtney. Viola picks it up right away and scrambles to stand quickly.
“It’s my dog, and I want to spoil him, too.”
I lift an eyebrow at her and almost forget that we’re not alone. “If you want tocome, I’ll allow it.”
She smirks at my innuendo. “I do, and I’ll drive.”
