I take a sip of my drink, feeling the alcohol burn my throat. “She also seemed interested in you,” I add.
He blinks in surprise. “You think?”
“Yeah,” I tell him, swallowing the knot forming in my throat. “Areyou?”
My heart thuds loudly in my chest, and I can’t explain why. Taylorisnice. She’s always been nice to me, and she really is beautiful. So why does the thought of them dating make me feel sick?
I watch as the muscle in his jaw ticks, and he blows out a breath, lifting his shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t know.”
My stomach churns again, and I figure I must be coming down with the flu or something. “Really?” I say, handing him my drink again.
“You sound surprised,” he says, taking another sip.
That you’re interested in her all of a sudden? Yeah, I’m surprised. “She just...really isn’t your type, is all,” I say instead.
Chris chuckles, raising an eyebrow at me. “And what’s my type?”
I blink up at him, furrowing my brows in thought. “I don’t know,” I admit. “You don’t really talk to me about that kind of stuff.”
A fleeting thought crosses my mind.Am I his type?I quickly dismiss it. What am I even thinking? Chris is my best friend.
Chris shrugs. “It’s just not something I usually talk about.”
I look up at him, a hint of uncertainty gnawing at me. Chris has been my whole world for years, the person I’ve always relied on and thought I knew inside out. But now, looking at him, it feels like there’s a side of him I’ve never seen.
“So sheisyour type?”
He swallows, his gaze locking with mine, and then he blows out an agitated breath, running a hand through his hair. “You were making out with your boyfriend the whole time, Gabi,” he says, his brows furrowed in frustration. “You can’t blame me for hanging out with her.”
“Well, I’m here now,” I reply with a shrug. “You can hang out with me.”
He blinks at me, a hint of concern in his eyes. “What about your boyfriend?” he asks.
I shrug, taking a sip of beer.He won’t be my boyfriend for long. “Don’t worry about him,” I say, waving a hand. The truth is, I don’t think I even like Nate that much, and it seems like the only thing he wants from me is the one thing I don’t want to give him. “I’d rather spend time with you.”
The corner of his lips curl into a soft smile as his eyes meet mine. “Yeah, I’d rather spend time with you, too.”
My heart does a somersault at his words, and I return his smile, feeling a rush of warmth as he lays a blanket over both of our legs. I lean my head on his shoulder, loving the comfort I feel whenever I’m with him. “So, you don’t want to hang out with Taylor anymore?” I ask.
“Nah,” he replies, glancing at me. “She’s not my type.”
Chapter 10
You're not a love guru
I was named after my father.
I remember my mom telling me one night as she tucked me into bed. I was about seven years old, and even then, I knew it wasn’t a good thing. She spoke softly, probably trying to make it sound okay, but it just made me feel worse. From that moment, I hated my name. I didn’t want any connection to him, even if it was just our shared name.
I always wondered if she ever looked at me and thought about him. If she ever saw a part of him in me. If she thought we were the same.
My phone rings in my hand, and I stare at the contact name, a shiver crawling up my spine. I can’t escape him. Even after moving to the other side of the world, I still can’t escape him. Hearing my own name is a constant reminder, because it’s his name too.
I hit decline and fling my phone onto the couch. Leaning forward, I bury my head in my hands, thoughts racing. I hope that he doesn’t find out I’m back in America.
“Hey, you there?” The voice breaks through my thoughts.
Peeling my hands away, I glance down at my headset resting on the couch, and I slide it back onto my head. “Yeah. I’m here.”
