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“You two go ahead,” Nico says. “Luca and I will hang back.”
Nico winks at me, giving a small squeeze around my fingers as a sign of support, before flashing his brother a knowing look. A moment of privacy for Avery and me.
It takes a few minutes to make it down the stone path to the shoreline, where we shuck off our heels. Waves crash against the beach, and the glow of a full moon dances across the water.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, but with Nico around, I figured it’s best to do it when we’re alone.” She wraps her arm around mine as we stroll in the sand. “Did you get your annual asshole text?”
Every year, as if I’m trapped in some annual Groundhog Day, I get a message from Chuck on my birthday. The same eight words sit in a graveyard of ignored messages.
Never Fucking Answer
Happy Birthday, Little Lily. Still think about you.
I nod. “While we were at lunch. Like clockwork.”
“You should block his number.”
“I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of winning.” The moment the delivered notification stops hitting his end of the one-sided text conversation, he’ll piece together that he got under my skin.
“There’s nothing to win, Lily. He’s the loser. He lost,” Avery reminds me, but it’s more honesty than I can accept. “What did Nico think of the text?”
“Nothing. I didn’t show him.”
A heavy sigh draws out of her, and I know I’m about to hear something I don’t really want to. “Lil, I know you can see Nico looks at you the way Luca looks at me.”
“All men look at me that way.”
“No. Not like that. I’ve seen guys trip up around you, sometimes even do things that border on harassment.” I grin despite the severity of the conversation. “But you’ve never mirrored them. Never really glanced their way, refilled their cup, or laughed at every single joke despite how wildly inappropriate it is. It’s different with Nico.”
She’s right, as always.
Maintaining a friendship with someone who’s innately so much like yourself is almost frustrating. Where Avery is soft, I’m clad in stone, but everything in between has been my most rewarding and familiar relationship.
“It would be easier if we remained friends.” Because I can manage afriendship. It doesn’t come with strings that yank, tug, and pull on every inch of your rusted heart, somehow lifting you up and dragging you down all at once.
“Lil, you have matching tattoos.”
“Hey, he stolemydesign.”
She knows it’s not the truth because that’s how friends work. They know everything about you—exactly like Nico.
“I don’t believe you, so you can stop lying. Besides, not too long ago, you sat me down and told me I deserved to be happy.”
“Actually, all I said was that you needed to get laid.” My elbow sends a slight nudge into her arm. “You and Luca took it to a whole other level.” I drop my eyes to the barely there bump on her belly.
“If you know, you know.” One of her brows quirks up, and she shrugs. “Everything else ceases to matter when you find someone who doesn’t love you in spite of your flaws but because of them.”
“I promise, Ave. I’m happier this way,” I lie again, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s not talk about boys right now. I actually have something to tell you.”
Avery turns to me, her eyes lit by the night sky. She searches my face for any indication of what I’m about to say.
Now or never.
“You know all those novellas that were in our apartment? The sexy ones you refused to read.”
She blushes. “I didn’t refuse to read them. They’re just very explicit.”
“Right.” I swallow a tight breath. “Well, they’re mine.”
