“When I was fourteen.”
That’s a long time for a child to witness their parents fighting. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugs. “I wish they would have split sooner.”
I have the primal urge to fix itfor her, but I can’t change the past. Some things will forever be broken.
“Wanna play again?” Juliet changes the subject with a smirk, then takes a bite of her last slice of pizza. It’s got to be cold by now.
“And lose seven times in a row. Let me think about it.” I grin and steal the pool cue from her and put it on the rack on the wall. I’m only a gracious loser for so long.
She sticks out her bottom lip. It’s red and delicious looking, like a perfectly ripe strawberry.
I bet it tastes even better.
My mouth goes dry.
“But I was on a roll,” Juliet says.
I slide around her, lingering next to her side for a moment. I lean in to whisper in her ear and allow my lips to skim her cheek. “Don’t I know it?”
Her sharp intake isallI need to know I’m doing something right and that maybe,just maybe, I can convince her I’m worth more than five dates.
But the second I pullaway, she darts to the other side of the table.
Was there too much garlic on the pizza?
I rack up the balls so someone else can enjoy losing as much as me.
I freeze. Then turn to her with a grin. “Do you want to be my new party trick?”
Her brows furrow, her glare turning deadly. It’s the same one she wore the night we first met, and it still sends shiversdownmy spine.
“Excuse me?”
“Not like that.” I rush to clarify. “What I mean is, do you want to come to my house for dinner on Sunday so you can school everyone at pool?” Oh, the bets I can make with Sean about this.
She juts out her chin. “Like home, home? To meet your family?”
The premeditated victory dance in my head ceases. People only take someone home when they are serious… when they are falling in love.
My heart thuds against my lungs. This was the point of Sean’s bet. But until this moment, I didn’t realize love is exactly where I’m headed.
I avoid her eyes, so she won’t be able to see what I’m feeling. I shrug. “Well yeah, but mostly to humble my brothers.”
She twirls her hair around her finger, and I watch the doubts fly across her face. I’m preparing for the no, ready to give her an out when she speaks.
“I guess it could be kind of fun to smoke your brothers,” she says, the corner of her lips curling up.
“Mostly Sean,” I say.
Juliet salutes me. “Got it. Destroy Sean.”
Forget heading in the direction of love. I may already be there.
When I drop heroff at home, I pause outside her door.
“So I’ll pick you up Sunday?” I ask, hoping she hasn’t changed her mind in the last twenty minutes. She seems happier than when we left, but I can tell she’s still upset. Every time I get close, she backs away, so I’ve tried to keep my distance. Which is nearly impossible when she looks so beautiful in that oversized sweater and leggings with her glasses slippingdownher nose.
