Page 56 of The Odds of Happily Ever After
For a moment, he was quiet. Then he murmured, “Do you believe that?”
“A hundred percent.” My voice came out loud, but I couldn’t help it. His ex hadn’t just dumped him when he seemed to have been at his lowest—she’d also made him feel inferior.
Was there any wonder he was so driven to succeed?
“Where is this girl anyway?” I muttered.
He glanced at me, his eyebrows raised. “Why do you ask? Are you planning to beat her up?”
“Of course not. I’m just going to tell her that she made the wrong decision and that she’s missing out.”
A hesitant laugh escaped him. “You think so, huh?”
“I know so.”
He smiled at me softly. “Thank you, Luna.”
Going by instinct, I reached out and put my hand on his forearm. It was the first time I’d touched him since he was sick. His muscles grew rigid, but he didn’t move away.
A breath whooshed out of him. “Anyway. Playing cards came naturally to me because it boiled down to numbers and patterns.”
“And reading body language,” I added.
“Thatpart didn’t come naturally. But I did my research and I observed. It paid off.”
Lucky for us, we’d only played for bragging rights. “I’ll win next time,” I said playfully.
I held my breath while I waited for him to tell me there would be no next time, but he threw me a half-smile instead. “I’ll count on that,” he said, and it took all of me not to dance right there in the passenger seat.
My happiness felt so big and bright, I wondered how I didn’t burst with the force of it. I looked out the window and pinched my lips together to keep from grinning like a looney tune. He’d think I was a silly girl with a crush, and he might have been right, except this didn’t feel like just a crush.
“You and Miles got along well.”
My head whipped around to face Gabe. “He’s an easy guy to get along with,” I said, wondering where that comment had come from.
Gabe drummed his thumb on the steering wheel. “You didn’t go with him to that party.”
I laughed incredulously. “You know that was a joke, right?” After we’d played cards last night, Miles had invited me and Lonzo to a club we were definitely underage for. Lonzo would have gone if Ate didn’t decline for the both of us, but all I’d wanted was to enjoy sleeping on my huge, ultra comfy bed.
“He’s interested in you.”
I gaped at him for a full minute. “You’re kidding. Like I could pulltheMiles Gomez.”
His brow furrowed as he looked at me. “Why couldn’t you?”
“Um, he dates gorgeous models and actresses and probably billionaire heiresses.”
“You’re beautiful too.”
When I could finally pick my jaw off my lap, I said, “Was that a compliment?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze.
My heart thumped so loud, it was a miracle he couldn’t hear it. “Thanks. But I’m not into Miles like that.”
“No?”
“That would be like crushing on Jason’s brother. Super weird.”
