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Owen entered the kitchen. “Why is everyone hiding in here?”
Brayden turned to him. “They’re pretending they weren’t talking about Lala.”
“Ah.” Owen turned to me. “You told them about the hotel night?”
Colby’s eyes widened as his head whipped toward me. “Hotel what?”
I pulled on my hair. “Nothing happened! It’s a long story. Her car broke down and I—”
“Seriously!” Billie intervened. “You don’t owe us an explanation, Holden.” She turned to her husband. “Even if anything were happening with Lala, it’s none of our business.”
“Lala will always be our business,” Colby corrected.
Billie placed her hands on her hips. “Lala’s a grown-ass woman. She doesn’t need any of you big goons looking out for her. And as for Holden, leave him alone, too. He’s done nothing wrong. And if there’s anyone here who would kick his ass if he did, it would be me. Got it?”
“Ass?” a little voice asked.
Saylor had joined us.
Billie sighed. “Nothing, honey. Forget you heard that.”
Saylor giggled. “Are you talking about Lala?”
Not her, too.
“Why would you think that?” I asked.
“I was listening. I heard her name. I like Lala. She has pretty hair.”
Fuck yeah, she does. I dream about pulling it while I—
“Uncle Holden! You have to say goodbye to Guinevere before you leave.”
Colby’s eyes darted to me. “You can take Guinevere back home with you, while you’re at it, Holden.”
“Saylor…” I flashed a mischievous grin. “Have you ever seen a capybara?”
After saying a proper goodbye to the guinea pig I’d nearly murdered via Hot Cheeto, I went back to my apartment, unable to shake the uneasy feeling I’d had all night. Knowing that Lala couldn’t stand to be around me long enough to show up for her friends’ big announcement felt like a punch to the gut. It was proof that I’d gone and done what I’d feared: I’d pushed her away and was losing her as a friend. That was unacceptable to me.
Before going into my place, I stopped in the hallway, debating whether to knock on her door. There was always a chance that I’d blown things out of proportion. Maybe she did have to work late. I needed to know whether that was a lie.
I continued to stand in the hallway and debated texting her, but I had to figure out a new normal, and the sooner I faced her again, the sooner I could practice being around her without screwing up.
I finally knocked and stood there waiting as my pulse raced.
When Lala opened, she looked as beautiful and flustered as ever with her wild hair and wide eyes. Then I looked down. Her neck had broken out in a rash, which only happened when something was really bothering her. It took me all of two seconds to figure it out. Because when I looked to my right, I realized she wasn’t alone.
Warren was standing there.
CHAPTER 15
Lala
“Uh, Holden…hey. What are you doing here?”
Holden’s eyes moved between me and Warren. His jaw clenched. “I just came to check on how that leak in the kitchen is holding up. I put some putty around the drain earlier while you were at work, to shore up the seal.”
I hadn’t had any leak in the kitchen, but I appreciated him making up an excuse for stopping by. “Oh, it must have worked. I don’t think it’s leaking anymore. Thank you for checking.”
The three of us stood staring at each other in silence until it got awkward. Eventually, Holden lifted his chin to Warren and forced a smile, but I could see he was anything but happy. “Hey man, what’s up?”
Warren placed his hand on my back. “Not much. Just surprised my fiancée for the weekend.”
Holden glanced to me. “Cool. Well, I’ll let you guys go since the faucet is holding.”
“Actually,” Warren said. “I’m glad you stopped by. I knocked on your door earlier, on my way in, so I could speak to you about something in private…”
My eyes widened. “You did?”
Warren nodded before looking back to Holden. “Could you possibly recommend a restaurant? Something romantic, perhaps?” Warren leaned in and kissed my temple. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of our first date, and I don’t get to see my girl so often these days. I’d like to take her somewhere nice.”
Oh God. I wanted to throw up.
Holden glared at Warren. “I don’t eat out much.”
“Really? I figured you’d have an arsenal of romantic places, with all the dating Laney tells me you do…”
I shut my eyes. When I opened them, Holden’s glare had shifted from Warren to me.
“I never said Holden was a serial dater.”
Holden’s face reddened. “Just a manwhore, right?”
“Holden…”
He held up a hand. “It’s fine. I mean, the truth is the truth. Though, I guess one of the reasons I can’t think of a romantic restaurant off the top of my head is because some of my most memorable times with women aren’t at places like that. The best times I’ve ever had were just evenings sitting on my fire escape, drinking wine and talking. I don’t think you need a fancy, overpriced place when you’re with a special woman.”
