Page 82 of Exes and O's

“Something wrong with your napkin?”

“I really don’t like cloth napkins,” he explains.

I lean forward, resting one elbow on the table. “Me either. I mean, I know they’re more environmentally friendly and all.”

He sets the napkin back on his lap. “Whenever I look at them,I think about all the people who’ve used it. Blown their nose in it. They’re always full of lint too. And weird scents. Like hotel towels.”

“This is a wonderful date convo,” I say, unable to stop grinning. “Very romantic.”

He lifts his shoulders. “Hey, you always want to know more about me.”

“Have you always been a germophobic neat freak?”

I expect him to grunt and ignore me, but he lowers his gaze to his empty plate. “My mom worked a lot and didn’t have time to clean. Our place was always a shitshow. We had one of those houses you’d want to wear socks in. Logan and I were too embarrassed to have friends over because of the mess.”

I almost reach to place my hand over his, but I stop myself, settling for a frown instead. “I don’t blame you. Now I feel like a dick for not wiping my crumbs off the counters. Although my crumbs are nothing compared to naked women on the kitchen island,” I tease.

He shakes his head, partially burying his face. “I thought you were gonna leave and never come back that day.”

“Trust me, I contemplated it. But I was pretty desperate for a place to live,” I admit, taking the last sip of my wine. “Was it weird to have a stranger living with you after rooming with Scott for so long?”

“No, actually. That first time we talked—”

“When you gave me Cheetos in the bathroom?”

“Yeah. I felt like I already knew you. It was like we’d been friends for years.”

Womp, womp. There’s that word again.Friends.I deflate a little. “Really? It still took you forever to open up to me.” The fact is,Trevor is a good friend. An amazing friend. While he may not see me romantically, I should be entirely grateful for his support.

He waves away my statement. “Oh, come on. I told you about Angie fairly quickly.”

“You already knew all my emotional trauma by then,” I remind him. “In all seriousness, though, I can’t imagine living with anyone else.”

“Yeah, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who takes care of you like I do.” He gives me that disarming wink again, accompanied by a light tap with his shoe under the table. “Actually, speaking of taking care of yourself, I got called out west to help with the wildfires for a few days. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

I straighten my spine against the padded chair, caught off guard. “Really? Isn’t it the rainy season in Cali right now?”

“It is. But this year is one of the driest in history. I should be gone a couple days. But it’ll be good money. Lots of overtime.” He pauses and lowers his head. “I’m trying to make sure I’ll be back for Angie’s party, though.” There’s an unmistakable somberness in his tone.

“Trev, it’s okay. We could switch it to a date you’re home for sure?”

“No. I already talked to Payton about it. We’re gonna keep it as is. You’ve done too much work to switch it all.”

I nod silently. “Angie will understand if you can’t make it. She’ll miss Flynn Rider, though.”

He lets out a labored sigh, his expression pained. “I’m going to make it. What if it’s her last birthday?”

“It won’t be,” I promise, immediately wishing I could take the words back. They’re cruel to say out loud, because there’s no wayto know for sure. “I’ll be there to make sure everything goes perfectly.”

“Thank you.” Pure gratitude is written all over his face. Unexpectedly, his hand brushes my kneecap under the table. It’s the lightest touch, but the warmth of his fingers sends a flurry of sparks dancing through me.

“Everything will be okay.”

His eyes catch mine again, and I’m lost in them until my phone has the nerve to vibrate on the table, rattling the silverware.

It’s Daniel.

Hey, Tara. I am SO sorry. I’ll probably be at the office all night. Huge project. Can we postpone?

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