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“Look at us,” I said. “Problem free.”
Another amused glint flickered in his opaque stare, and again, I marveled at how different he was than I expected.
Almost as if he could read my mind, he said, “I’m not like Win. I don’t have a sun to hide my dark.”
“You think Win has dark?”
His eyes leveled on mine. “Don’t we all?”
Touché.
Wes called for me, and I used it as an escape from this conversation. From Max’s perceptive gaze.
The full-sized kitchen was made up of black cabinetry, bright-white countertops, and stainless-steel appliances. Wes was standing beside a traditional coffeemaker and a much sleeker machine that I knew brewed espresso.
“Which one?” he asked, holding a pod in one hand and a bag of ground coffee in the other. “I usually just use this one.” He gestured with the bag to the regular coffeemaker. “But Win just bought this a few weeks ago because he says it’s better.”
“Does Win live here?” I asked, the need to know outweighing the need to not bring him up.
Win nodded. “Me, Max, and Win live here. I used to live in the dorm, but I moved back when Max and I started dating.”
He still seemed a little shy about that, and I didn’t want him to feel like it was a thing. Offering him a smile, I crossed the room to grab the pod from his grasp and put it into the Nespresso machine. After making sure the tank had water in it, I grabbed a cup nearby, put it under the spout, and hit the button to brew it.
“Glad you know how to do all that. I still haven’t figured it all out.”
“I had a machine like this back home.”
“In your dorm with Win?”
I nodded.
“Guess that explains why he likes it so much.”
My stomach dipped.It doesn’t mean anything that he bought the same machine. It just means he likes coffee too.
“He told me Swedes sure love coffee.”
“Most of us.”
“Including you,” Wes teased.
“I might be a little caffeine dependent,” I mused, the scent of rich espresso filling the room. Just the fragrance alone helped relax some of the tense muscles in my neck.
“Well, help yourself to it here anytime. And I can tell you all the best places to get it on campus.”
“Thanks,” I said. “So you and Max just started dating?”
“We’ve been together a few months now.” Then shyly, he tacked on, “But I’ve loved him almost my whole life.”
“He looks at you like he feels the same way,” I said, grabbing the shot of espresso off the machine and lifting it to my lips.
“Don’t you want creamer?” he asked, partially alarmed.
I shook my head as I sipped. “Not this time.”
The smooth, dark brew hit my tongue, and my eyes nearly rolled back in my head. He even had the good pods. The ones I liked the most. Without even thinking about it, I groaned in my throat.
Wes laughed. “That good?”
