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And while I’m thinking through all that, she bursts out laughing, loud enough to turn the heads of the people next to us.
“I was kidding, Wyatt. For heaven’s sake.”
Oh. Right.
“You should have seen your face. It was covered in abject horror.” She starts laughing again, much quieter this time.
“You got me, I’ll admit it. I was afraid you thought I was a total fucking asshole or something.”
She shrugs. “I didn’t say I don’t think that,” she scoffs.
“All right. We have a comedian on our hands tonight,” I say.
And I am so here for that. Good-looking, smart, tenacious, and a smart-ass. I am in fuckingtrouble.
31
WYATT
“How’dyou get that scar? The one on your eyebrow?”
My fingers wander up to the indentation above my right eye that I’ve had so long I usually forget about it. It’s part of me now. I don’t notice it and I assume others don’t either.
Not that I care if anyone does.
“Oh man. Levi and I got in a knock-down drag-out when we were kids.”
Her mouth drops open.
“You didn’t know that Levi and I grew up together?” I ask.
She fake-smacks the side of her head with her palm. “That makes total sense. You guys have history. No wonder you took the liberty of sending in his manuscript.”
Not sure Levi would use the word ‘liberty.’ Pretty sure he’d call it ‘fucking nerve.’ But it’s all good.
“Yeah. I thought it was hilarious I did that. When he found out, not so much. He was pissed, all worried about his ‘reputation,’” I say with air-quotes.
“I bet he was pissed. He’s under a lot of pressure. You write one good book, and the rest of the world expects your next one to be even better. A lot of authors can’t beat their last book. That’s when they get dropped by publishers.” She looks at me with alarm. “Not that that’s what’s going to happen to Levi. The company really believes in him.”
I’ve been around Levi and his desire to write long enough to know publishing is a business like any other. You can be up one day and down the next.
Right now, Levi is up. On top of things. The toast of the town, as they say. That’s a long way to fall.
“I get it. He has a lot going on.”
Amalia’s eyes brighten, and she rubs her hands together. “What else should I know about you? Are you gonna spill the dirt?”
Her curiosity is adorable. I’m not going to be able to resist this woman.
“I was in juvie when I was a kid.”
She sits back in her seat. “You mean I’m hanging out with a criminal?”
I nod. “I was just a teenager. Does that still count? You know, being underage and all?”
She leans closer. “It’s still kind of hot. On a smaller scale. So what did you do?”
“Broke windows. Stupid shit.”
