Page 20 of Why Not Now?

Idon’tlookatAva, but I feel her tense next to me. Adalie snickers before covering it with a sip of her beer. Vic looks bored. Spencer is studying his cards like they hold the key to the question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

I shake my head. “You know, I told her you guys were nosy as fuck. We are not.”

Spencer coughs, but I distinctly hear him say, “Yet,” while he’s clearing his throat. He picks up a card and sorts through his hand, deciding the order he’s going to play it.

“How’s your sister and the baby?” Adalie asks. Because, while my friends are nosy, they’re also really cool.

“She’s doing well,” I say. “Travis is happy most of the time. Apparently keeping her up all night still.”

“Do you have any new pictures?” Lis asks. I dig my phone out of my pocket and hand it to her with the newest picture I’d taken today.

Spencer lays his cards down, but nothing crazy happens and it’s Ava’s turn. Instead of playing, she’s looking at everyone at the table.

“Wait a second,” she says. “That’s it?” She motions to Lis. “Are we sleeping together?” She motions to me. “The answer is no. And that’s just it?”

“What do you want us to ask next?” Vic asks, her eyebrows raised in question.

Ava looks around, eyes wide with something like alarm. “N-nothing.”

Vic shrugs. “Well, then?”

“Wouldn’t a relationship between us be some kind of conflict of interest?” Ava asks next. “Since we’re both connected to Blue Vista?”

Vic rolls her eyes. “Not this again.”

Spencer snorts and takes Lis’ hand, kissing the back of it.

“There is no rule at Blue Vista that people can’t date as long as they don’t make a mess for the company,” Vic says, drawing out the statement like she’s said it before, which she sort of did when Lis and Spencer were going through their shit. “Except for the four of us.” She motions between her, me, Spencer, and Adalie. “Since we’re owners. So, are we moving on?”

“Shouldn’t we ask them about their sex lives?” Ava asks me. “If turnabout is fair play.”

“I already know way too much about theirs,” I say, pointing to Spencer and Lis. “I don’t want to know how often they’re fucking. And these two haven’t been laid in at least a few weeks.”

Vic leans on her elbows toward me, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “And how long has it been since you got laid, Derek?”

The look she’s giving me tells me she knows. I glance at the rest of my friends. They all do. While we’ve gone out a bunch since Daze and Sophie’s wedding, and I usually would pick up some woman while out with them, they’ve all noticed I haven’t been. I stick to our table, to my friends. I haven’t been checking out other women or bringing any home.

Because I’ve suddenly been reminded that Ava Calligan is a woman who exists in the world and no other woman has ever measured up to her.

“I have maybe had a bit of a dry spell for the past few weeks, but I’ve been busy. Helping Gina with Travis.” Yeah. That makes sense. It’s a fucking lie. Including the fact thatfewactually meansten—ever since I saw Ava at Daze and Sophie’s wedding. My friends know it’s a lie. But Ava doesn’t. That’s all that matters.

Ava looks at me, so I turn to her, waiting for her to dig deeper, to call me out. Instead, she says quietly, a small smile on her lips, “Gina had a baby?”

Ava had always been closer to Gina than she had been to Trish. Only a year older than us, Gina had been more willing to let us hang out with her than Trish had been. Though she hadn’t mentioned it in our conversation today, Gina had been almost as heartbroken as I had been when Ava and I broke up.

“Yeah. In October.” I nod toward her hand. “It’s your turn.”

The game moves on and so does the conversation. Lis says she’ll bring over some more food for Gina in the next couple of days. Lis and Spencer tell us how packing is going since they’re moving in together next weekend. Adalie convinces Lis to bake a vanilla bean cheesecake for a “housewarming” party they don’t need to have, considering we had one for Spencer a couple months ago when he’d initially moved in.

We chat and play games. There’s laughter and eating and drinking, and Ava fits right in with my friends. She fits in so well, it’s like she’s been here this whole time, and not been missing for almost nine years.

I stop myself from following that thought any further. Because the fact is, shehasbeen missing. Because she’d told me to leave. I have to remember that and not let myself get swept up in how easy it is with her.

It’s only 10pm when my friends get up to leave, but we rarely stay out late on game nights.

Spencer orders an Uber and when it’s here, I walk everyone to the door, Ava trailing behind me. Lis hugs me first, followed by Adalie. Vic just nods, not much of a hugger. The women go outside to the waiting car.

Before he leaves, Spencer stops beside me. “Has he called again?” he says in a low voice I don’t think Ava can hear.

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