Page 23 of Never Less

I smile. “I could tell you exactly what I think you should do, Liliana, but that’s not what you want. It’s not who you are.”

“Oh? And who am I?”

I ignore the annoyance in her voice and lean forward, my elbows placed on the island between us. “Remember the weekend Nate introduced us? I took you both out to dinner on that ferry, and I said you wouldn’t need a long sleeve because it was the middle of summer?”

She nods.

“You brought a light jacket anyway.”

“And I ended up using it. It was windy.”

“Or how about the cookie incident last Christmas?”

She rolls her eyes.

“I told you we wouldn’t need that many, but you made them all anyway.”

“Yeah, that one you were right about.” She grimaces.

“My point isn’t who was right and who was wrong. It’s that you do whatever you think is best, regardless of other people’s opinions. I could tell you to keep trying with Nate, or I could tell you to leave. Either way, you won’t listen. You’ll come to your own conclusion and make your own decision.”

“That’s not true. I listen to what other people have to say.”

“Of course you do. You’re a reasonable person. But how many of your friends told you to leave Nate?”

She’s silent.

“All of them?”

Another beat of silence, and then she nods.

“I’m not saying you didn’t listen to them, Liliana. I’m saying you took what they said into account, along with various other factors, and made your own decision.”

“But do you think I’m making the wrong one?” she presses.

“That doesn’t—” I stop at the desperation painted onto her features. Unlike last night, the look in her eyes isn’t rooted in hurt. It’s based on something else entirely.

“What?” she asks.

“You care about what I think. That’s what this is about?”

Her gaze drops. After a second, she nudges the bowl across the counter. “You can have more.”

“You seem pretty attached to it.”

“I don’t mind sharing with you. Made too much for myself, anyway.”

“Liliana.”

Her movements are slow, like she’s forcing herself, but she finally looks up at me again.

“I don’t think you’re stupid for giving Nate another chance. I think he’s stupid. I don’t think you’re naive, either. On the contrary, I think you’re more intelligent than you’re giving yourself credit for right now, and I know you know I’m right.”

Doubt flickers in her eyes.

“I mean it, little star.”

Her cheeks flush, and something forbidden and possessive wraps itself around my heart. I like that she cares about what I think. I like that my little pet name does something to her, too.

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