Page 16 of A Little Complicated

“Don’t. Seriously. Especially about the travel part. I think it’s awesome. Did Coach Sanderson say anything about how many practices you’ll miss?”

“Since the internship will be over by the end of August, I won’t miss any games, so as long as I condition on my own, he’s okay with it.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah, it is. And knowing you’re okay with it too…” He dips down and kisses my nose.

“You can breathe easier?” I offer.

“Exactly.” His eyes search my face. “Can I be honest with you?”

“Always.”

“I’m sorry if I’m acting weird. I’m still trying to figure out how to treat girlfriend Ophelia compared to how I would treat friend Ophelia.”

“Dude, I’ve literally had the same thought more times than I can count since we started dating. Meshing the two together is…” I hesitate. “Good. But it’s strange sometimes too.”

“Yeah.” He brings my fingers to his lips and kisses them softly. “We’ll figure it out though, right?”

With a smile, I nod. “Yeah, of course. Speaking of figuring things out, Mav mentioned you guys throw costume parties sometimes? But he made it sound like it was a code word or something, and I can’t figure out what it means.”

“It’s not necessarily a code word, but it’s hard to explain what they’re like unless you’ve been to one.” He chuckles as if reliving a memory, adding, “Why was he talking about costume parties?”

“Apparently, Mav’s throwing a party tomorrow and—”

“One of Reeves’ parties?”

“Uh, I’m not sure.” I hesitate, lifting a shoulder. “Yes?”

“I’m out of town tomorrow.”

“Oh.” I frown. “That sucks.”

“Yeah.” His expression is tight as he stares down at me. “So…”

“So…,” I mimic, rising onto my tiptoes and giving him a quick peck.

“So, I’m debating on whether or not I should encourage girlfriend Ophelia to attend one of those parties while I’m away.”

“You think I shouldn’t go?”

“I’ve never been naive enough to think I can control what you do,” he counters, tugging me closer.

“Girlfriend Lia or Friend Lia?” I ask.

“Both,” he answers. “But if you’re here to get the full college experience, I guess attending Reeves’ parties is part of the deal.”

“To be fair, it’s only logical since we agreed if I came to LAU, I was allowed to be a regular girl, remember? And that was before girlfriend Ophelia even became a thing.” I play with the collar of his shirt, grazing my fingers against the nape of his neck.

“Well then, I hope you have fun at your first college party,” he offers, bending closer.

My teeth graze my bottom lip as I grin up at him. “Why, thank you.”

His gaze cuts to my lips, and he leans closer when the front door opens with a squeak. I yank away from Archer, finding his brother on the opposite side of the door. Maverick’s expression tightens as soon as he sees us. His jaw squeezes, and his asshole persona takes over. Hell, I watch it happen. Like front-row seats on a movie set. The way he buries his real emotions under a blanket of sarcasm and cynicism.

Maverick’s always been this way. Genuine. Kind. Then cold. Indifferent. Then, full of over-the-top snark you want to choke on. It’s dizzying.

I straighten my spine and prepare myself for the inevitable as he steps onto the porch and closes the door behind him. He flashes his brother a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “How come you started without me? I thought we were going to woo her together, brother.”

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