Page 75 of Absolute Certainty
“Fine. Is that good with everyone else?” Sahar asked around.
They all nodded, dispersing around the table for different seats. Willa purposely wedged herself between Ethan and Christian, leaving another chair empty between Miles and Sahar, so Jay could sit next to her again.
While it was obvious he was growing comfortable around each of them, Willa also figured he would prefer to be beside Sahar. And her hypothesis proved to be true when he inched closer, whispering something in her ear. A quick conversation about how cute Tulip was sprawled on the floor distracted the others in a way that gave Jay and Sahar their own private moment.
Whatever he said must’ve been intriguing because Sahar’s expression openly exhibited elation. There was an understanding between them, another small but significant detail that was theirs and theirs alone. Sahar turned, whispering something back.
His eyes crinkled at the edges, a smile reserved just for Sahar curling along his lips. It was impossible not to notice the effect she had on him. His arm had been resting on her chair, and Willa wondered if Sahar could tell—if she was aware of how Jay gravitated toward her with every tilt and movement.
She was the sun to Jay, and he tipped toward her light like there was nowhere else in the world he’d rather be.
Willa didn’t know him well enough, but she knew Sahar. And the version of her she saw with Jay was the very same version of the woman who’d been her flatmate for six years now and her friend for an even longer stretch of time. She was bright and beaming, and in the company of someone who cherished the pieces of her she used to tuck away out of fear.
Jay respected Sahar enormously. There was no question about that. There was also no question about his intentions or motives either. Unlike Martin, he wasn’t in this room to gain something. Jay wasn’t sitting beside Sahar because she was a gorgeous woman he could later brag about to his friends.
He was here because the woman beside him asked him to come, and he couldn’t say no to spending time with her.
Willa was sure of that, now more than ever. There was something special here. Awe-struck wonder sat at the center of his gaze, love letters and sonnets stretched to fill the small space between them.
18
SAHAR
After ordering their rides home, the five of them stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby of Ethan’s apartment.
“Wills, want me to come and hold your hand at the dentist’s tomorrow?” Sahar asked.
Miles swung the outside door open and held it. Willa walked out first, turning to face Sahar. “At nine in the morning? You love me that much, yeah?”
“I’d wake up at six in the bloody morning for you.”
“You would. Honestly? Yes, please. Ethan offered, but I refused to let him. There are few places less romantic than the dentist's office.”
“I’ll be there then,” Sahar declared.
She moved beside Jay, who’d been texting someone.
“I hope our chaotic little circle didn’t scare you,” she said to him.
The sound of his low laugh made her heart squeeze. “Not at all. You let me win that last round, didn’t you?”
Her expression morphed into a half-gasp, half-smile. “I would never. I zoned outfor a bit halfway through because exhaustion got to me.”
Jay smiled back at her. It felt so natural to be on the receiving end of his softer side. His warmth and the ease that she’d felt all night. Sahar was losing it, one look at a time. He was getting to her. If she weren’t careful, if she didn’t force herself to stop,she’d fall for him. She’d fall so hard and so deeply, no one would be able to pull her back up.
Butugh, he was making it impossible to stop. Impossible not to appreciate his every gaze and every move.
She thought of the way his knee bumped hers underneath the table, his denim jeans rough against her bare leg. A clandestine move. A deliberate choice. She thought of his whispers against her ear. His nearness. The scent of his cologne. How she wanted to tilt her head, and see if he’d taste like the whiskey sour, too.
If Henry and Katherine played Clue, do you think she’d let him win?
Is this you admitting that she would be better than him?
Oh, absolutely.
He’d asked her that question, sharing his characters with her in a way that felt so intimate—so vulnerable. Sharing his characters as though they were fragments ofthem—Jay and Sahar. She wondered, at that moment, if by admitting Katherine was better, he was talking about Sahar. It was a selfish, self-inserting, silly thought, but she couldn’t help but think of it. The others had been gawking over Tulip—rightfully so—but she and Jay had been in their own little world. Inhislittle world.
Sahar hugged her light cardigan tighter. The breeze and the goosebumps prickling her skin made the sticky summer night feel momentarily more frigid.
