Page 35 of Under My Skin
I frown. “White is the safest color, you know.” When he smirks and takes a step toward me, I take a step back. “I’m serious! Bright colors are safer. It’s common sense. You’re basically asking me to blend into the night with you on a death trap. That’s ridiculous.”
Everett shakes his head with a laugh before pointing a finger at me. “You’reridiculous.”
I bite back my smile, but the moment gets cut short by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.
Chapter Twenty
EVERETT
Simon’sunmistakable voice carries up the staircase. “Hey, man. Toni said you were up here. She also said she’d enjoy watching me choke on a dumpling when I asked her out to dinner, so I think that’s progress.” At the top of the stairs he says, “Did you finally pick a paint—” His sentence is cut short, and he tilts his head, his eyes jumping between us before his full attention lands on me. “Why is Lucy up here?”
Lucy huffs. “Well, hello to you too, brother.”
I walk back toward my wall of swatches, gently pulling them down one by one. There’s nothing for me to feel guilty about, but Simon looking at me like I lured his little sister up here is enough to make me sweat. “She was helping me pick a color.”
I don’t look at him right away, but the silence that follows is a good enough indicator that he’s trying to assess the situation. There’s nothing to figure out, though. Lucy and I aren’t like that, even if my thoughts sometimes take a turn they shouldn’t.
When I turn back around, Simon is looking at Lucy. “Did you get a tattoo?”
She lifts the leg of her jeans to show off my cat drawing, now fading. Last night, I thought nothing of touching her. I touchpeople all day. But now I kind of wish she had gotten the tattoo. I kind of wish I could touch her again. “Nope. Still a virgin.”
The air gets stuck in my throat, and I cough through it. What the hell is wrong with me? She meant atattoo virgin,but that doesn’t stop me from imagining her sex life. What she likes, the sounds she makes, what she’d look like after I?—
Fuck me.
What she’d look like aftersomeonedoessomething. Not me. I can’t cross that line. Simon looks like he wants to rip my head off, and all she did was pick a paint color.
He points between the two of us. “Is there something going on here?”
Lucy and I glance at each other, my “No,” and her “No?” overlapping at the same time.
When Simon still stares at us, Lucy rolls her eyes. “Seriously, Simon? I’ve known Everett forever. If anything was going to happen between us, it would have happened by now.”
Would it have? I mean, I’ve never noticed her like this. But if she isn’t having the same thoughts, that’s good. Then only one of us needs to get our heads on straight. Shoving down the inkling of disappointment that just dropped into my stomach, I force a smile. “Besides, she doesn’t like anything about me. Tattoos, death traps that blend in with the night, reckless endangerment.” I casually wave my hand in the air like the list could go on.
I expect Lucy to agree, but she just looks at me with a thoughtful expression, her eyebrows pinched.
My heart kicks up speed. I need to get out of here. Turning to Simon, I try to keep my shit together. “You have your car, right?”
“No, I didn’t know she’d be here . . .” His words trail as he looks around the apartment, like the walls might be holding all our secrets. “Picking out paint colors.”
Lucy groans. “It’s fine. I’ll find a ride back to the apartment.”
My eyebrows pull together as I look at Simon. “Wait. If you didn’t come here for her, what’s up?”
He shrugs. “I figured we could grab a beer and check out that new bar a few blocks down.”
“Oh! On the Rock? That place is sick.” Troy’s voice carries up the stairs. Now it’s my turn to groan as my head falls back, my eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Simon perks up. “Yeah? You’ve been?”
He’s already answering before his feet reach the top of the stairs. “Yeah. Live music, great food, a shit ton of beers on—” He stops short as soon as his eyes land on Lucy. “Well, hey! Are you inked yet?”
“Not yet.” Lucy beams at him, and something in my gut twists.
A hand goes to his chest. “Say the word, and I’m your guy.”
“Thanks.” Lucy’s cheeks blush, and it has my usual patience for Troy dwindling like a fast-burning candle.
