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“More in the trunk.” Noah gestures back to Jamie’s car, and Chris gets there in time to balance the stack of pizzas that started to slide out of her hands.
Tony opens one box, letting out a steamy whiff of meat and cheese, and counts the slices. “I hope we have enough.”
“We calculated,” Noah says, fixing the lid Tony failed to shut properly and straightening the boxes. His brows are furrowed, but I swear he’s holding back a smile. “Two slices each and an expected attendance of fifty.” His eyes flash to mine, and my heart rate picks up.
Is he thinking what I’m thinking? “What if we have latecomers?” I ask, testing him.
“They’re out of luck, I guess.” His smile surfaces, softening his thick brows. “They’ll have to make do with your mom’s brownies.”
Laughter escapes me, releasing with it a week’s worth of stress. I vaguely register Jamie puzzling at me.
“Didn’t you bring a salad?” she asks.
Noah’s answering belly laugh—deep and throaty—dissolves me even further, and I realize I’ve been waiting to hear that sound for as long as I’ve known him. It’s been a year since he accidentally became my tutor.
“Did I miss something?” Jamie asks Chris, and I realize I’d better rein this in.
I press my aching cheeks and shake my head. “It’s nothing, just an—”
“Inside joke,” Noah finishes for me. Our eyes meet again, and his smile eases into something lopsided and dangerous.
Warmth blossoms in my chest in what must be an awkward silence for those around us, and suddenly I’m hankering for a run. With Noah.
What is wrong with me?
My wayward brain is forming a plan to ditch this party when I’m quite literally swept off my feet.
It’s Alec.
And he’s brought his net.
Chapter 54
Kill
Noah watched, helpless, as Grace’sboyfriend—her boyfriend!—swung her around, severing their connection with a jolt. He looked away, unwilling to see any more.
Had she felt it too?
He’d been pleased to see Grace there alone, intentionally letting his guard down when the pizza link had presented itself and communicating with his eyes what he couldn’t bring himself to say.
Then? Alec.
Noah knew he’d question his connection with Grace later, but in the moment, he was sure she’d welcomed it.
But whatever link there had been—imagined or real or one-sided—didn’t matter now. Alec had arrived, Grace was with him, and the pizza was going fast. Noah grabbed a paper plate, slapping down three pieces of pizza and no salad to spite himself. Caution to the wind, he added cookies from one of the dessert plates—the brownies someone else had brought didn’t appeal—and took a seat near Jamie. The Couple was seated a few tables away, leaning in, talking.
Painting on a happy mask, Noah channeled his frustration into the conversation at his table and even teased Jamie about the amount of salad she’d piled on her plate. She laughed and teased back—reassurance that his act was convincing.
Once the eating was done, they were supposed to play some group games under the pavilion—four on a couch and the like—before doing a full park cleanup, but Alec quickly claimed Grace for himself and extended an exclusive invitation to two worthy opponents to join them at his net.
So much for “drawing together,” as Grace had suggested in their committee meeting.
Concentration on the group game proved impossible since Noah ended up on the boring side of the four-on-a-couch circle and his name was never called. Eventually he stopped trying and observed the play at the net instead.
Maybe a heavy dose of reality would kill his interest.
Alec and Grace held their own against two guys Noah didn’t know—he labeled them Tall and Taller. The Couple had better ball skills, but their opponents were no slouches. It was a tough matchup.
