Page 67 of The Odds of Happily Ever After
My lips wobbled. “Yeah. It’s just . . . Chloe and I kind of got into it earlier.”
His brows lifted and he mouthed anahh. “I was planning to get pizza for dinner. You wanna join me? We can talk about it, or not talk about it; whatever you want.”
My study guide was waiting for me, but I needed to eat, right? “I could go for pizza.”
“Awesome.” He did a little bounce on the balls of his feet.
“We’re talking cheap pizza, right?”
“Hell, yes. Can you give me about ten minutes to finish closing up?”
“No rush.”
Later, we sat at a table outside Pizza Shack, our knees bumping against each other. It was a pleasant evening with a continuous breeze relieving the humidity, so people flocked to the alfresco dining area along the city center. It seemed like the entire Sterling population was out enjoying the weather.
“You’d think they’d have bigger tables considering their pizzas are massive.” I lifted a gooey slice of pepperoni pizza that was twice the size of my palm.
“They prioritized the number of seats over actual comfort,” Kai said. “So, do you want to talk about it?”
“It’s not as serious as it seems. It’s just that—” I didn’t know what to say that didn’t throw me or Chloe under the bus. Because as much as I wanted to deny her accusation, the truth grew clearer the longer I sat with it.
“Chloe’s a lot to deal with, huh?” Kai said, picking up on my hesitation to go into it in detail.
“It’s not that.” At least not today. “She helped me realize something about myself that I didn’t want to see.”
“When you sayhelped, I’m guessing it wasn’t some gentle nudge?”
I chuckled. “Chloe doesn’t exactly do gentle.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I always wondered how you two became friends.”
“It was all Kriz. She and Chloe have been friends since high school, and when we met, Kriz and I clicked instantly. With Chloe, it was the opposite. The ironic thing was, Chloe and I ended up in the same major, so the three of us just started hanging out together.” My lips pursed together, and I added in a murmur, “I’m not sure if Chloe holds that against me, how I inserted myself in their friendship.”
“Kriz has to know you guys don’t get along that well.”
“She does, but I try not to make a big deal about it. I don’t want her to feel like she’s caught in the middle and has to choose, you know?”
“I get that. It’s a tough spot to be in,” he said.
I sighed. “Yeah. Chloe and I are just different, and there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s one of the most direct people I know, and she doesn’t care what people think about her. I wish I could be more like her in that way.”
“I happen to think you’re cool the way you are.”
“Thanks.” That made one of us. I glanced at the table and grabbed my chance to change the topic. “Oh my God, did you inhale your pizza or something? I’m not even halfway through mine!”
He shrugged and picked up his soda. “I can help you with your slice if you can’t finish it.”
Guarding my plate with my arms, I gave him a mock glare. “No way.”
He laughed and jumped to his feet. “I’ll get another slice. You want anything else?” At the shake of my head, he said, “Be right back,” and then he bounded inside the restaurant.
Smiling, I bit into my pizza. Kai was such good company, and I was glad I said yes to his invite. This was the perfect break between my study sessions—a cheap, delicious dinner with an uncomplicated guy I could just relax with.
Yet as I finished my slice, I couldn’t help but think of the one complicated man who kept taking my heart on a rollercoaster ride.
chapter twenty-two
gabe
