“My pleasure,” I say as he lets me go, and the way he looks at me sends all my hormones out of whack. It’s like being doused in sunlight, burning but embracing the pain because it feels too good.
“Who wants some burgers?” Gil says, his “Kiss The Cook” apron stained with grease from all the grilling he’s been doing. The smell is heavenly in the backyard, and Finn’s stomach’s grumble is loud enough to make a few heads turn.
“Go,” I tell him, not wanting to take too much of his time. Not when I get him to myself so often and Aaron is looking at Finn like a sad puppy who just wants to hang out with his best friend.
Finn grins. “’Kay. See you later.” He mimics an air kiss, then goes to Aaron, who already has his hands full of food.
“The dynamic duo’s finally back together,” a feminine voice says to my left. While I’ve heard a lot about her, today’s the first time I finally got to meet Wren. The moment she introduced herself and said she was married to the guy who couldn’t stop himself from dancing to the music I’d put on, stars in her eyes, I knew I’d like her. “People who say teenage girls are the biggest gossips clearly have never met Aaron and Finn.”
I grin. “I’m pretty sure I saw tears in Finn’s eyes when he saw Aaron.”
“Oh, there definitely were,” Wren says.
Next to her stands Lilianne, who, despite the smile she wears, seems even more tired than the last time I saw her.
I bump her with my hip. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
I don’t believe her one bit, but I don’t push it. Whatever’s happening in her life, she deserves a night’s rest.
Wren gives her a look, and even though today’s the first time they’re meeting, something passes between them, as if they understand something only the two of them can. Wren gives her shoulder a squeeze, and Lil smiles in return.
“Anyway, enough about that,” Lil says, bringing her attention back to me. “I’d rather talk about what’s happening here.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning all the lovesick glances you and Finn have been exchanging since he got here,” Wren answers, again as if she and Lil are able to speak telepathically. She takes a sip out of her glass of sparkling water, her navy eyes boring into me like she can see every single one of my secrets.
And of course, my reddening cheeks aren’t helping.
“No, there’s nothing.” As soon as the lie slips past my lips and Lil and Wren look at me like I’m the dumbest person on earth, I realize there’s no way they’ll believe that. “Okay, there might be something, but really, we’re friends.”
Their dubious expressions don’t move an inch, but I’m not sure what else I can say without exposing everything I’m feeling for him.
“Lexie, I’m sorry to say this, but you’re a terrible liar,” Wren says.
I laugh, although there’s a hint of nervousness in there. I’m losing every bit of control I have here.
“I think you two believe you’re more subtle than you actually are,” Lil says with an apologetic expression.
I take a sip of my rosé to help me deal with this interrogation. I could continue denying it, but these two girls seem trustworthy, and I can only hope that if I ask them to keep something quiet, they will.
“Look,” I say, “we’ve been having some fun for a while, and yes, I may have a thing for him, but that’s where it ends.”
Their expressions remain serious for all of a second before their lips twist as they hold back laughter. Then, they turn to each other and start snickering for real this time.
“What?” I say.
“Oh, honey,” Lil says at the same time as Wren asks, “You really don’t see it?”
“See what?”
“How he looks at you,” Lil answers, smiling as she throws a quick glance in Finn’s direction, where he’s eating his burger with Aaron, Josie, and Callie, my gym student and Aaron’s sister.
“I don’t…” Howdoeshe look at me? The same way he looks at all the people he cares about.
“I’ve known him for a few years, and Lilianne for longer than that, and I think we can both say that we’ve never seen him like this.”
