Page 42 of So in Love
Shit.She was really on a roll tonight.Wincing, she set her beer down on the end table.“Sorry.Girl talk.My bad.”
“What did you tell her?”He grabbed his beer and flopped in a recliner adjacent to the couch.He’d donned his typical post-sex outfit: a T-shirt and athletic shorts.
“Just that we hooked up on New Year’s Eve.And maybe a few times since then.”
He snorted.“You may as well have given her a play-by-play.”He lifted the beer to his mouth, then paused before drinking.He shot her another gaze—this one bordering on fear.“You didn’t, did you?”
“No!”She pouted.“Brooke and Kelsey said they’d keep it secret.”
“BrookeandKelsey?”He rolled his eyes rather dramatically.“They don’t keep secrets from Cam and Luke.They’re disgustingly honest and open and quite happy to be that way.Apparently, that’s what happily ever after looks like.”He scoffed at his beer before taking another drink.
Crystal felt bad again.“I keep messing up tonight.”
He shot her an irritated glance.“Yeah, kinda.”
She deserved that—sort of.He didn’t have to be a jerk.“I said I was sorry.”
“Did you?”He ran his hand through his hair, making it stand up in places.“Never mind.I’m being a dick.I’m a little stressed, sorry.”
“Is it because of earlier?”Maybe hewasstill mad at her.“Should I go?”She unfolded her legs from beneath her.
He set his beer down and looked at her, his gaze earnest.“No.Don’t go.I had a shitty day.I told you that I day trade, right?”
He’d mentioned it the other night during one of their late-night post-sex chat sessions.“Yeah.”
“I lost a bunch of money today.”He shook his head, regret evident in the set of his jaw.“Kind of fucked myself because my loan payments are due.”
“What loans?”
“Grad school mostly.I had some scholarships, but not enough.And the London School of Economics isn’t cheap.”
No, she didn’t imagine it was.“Do you need some money to pay your bills?I could cover you for a bit if that would help.”
His gaze flickered with something—surprise?Anger?She wasn’t sure.And he quickly cloaked it, grabbing his beer again and settling back in the chair.“Nah.I’ll be fine.So, I’ve been meaning to ask… How long will you be in Ribbon Ridge this time?”
She noticed he changed the subject, and hoped—again—that she hadn’t screwed up.You know what?She wasn’t going to worry about it.“Just a few more days, then I have to head back to LA for some meetings and stuff.”Plus, she missed her house in Los Feliz, and while she was excited about a little snow, she’d be happy to warm up in southern California.
“So that’s home to you, and not Blueville?”
She nodded.“Yep.Blueville hasn’t been home since I was eighteen.”
“It’s sort of like Ribbon Ridge, right?”
“Pretty much.It feels different, though.With all the wineries around here and the Archers’ new hotel, Ribbon Ridge is a destination.No one wants to go to Blueville—they want to escape.”She laughed again, but it wasn’t entirely backed by humor.Her hometown made her uncomfortable, with good reason.
“You visit, though.”
“Of course.But only when I have to.I love my family, but going back there makes me feel claustrophobic.I force myself to visit a few times a year, but I don’t stay long.”
He leaned back in the chair, eyeing her intently.“How come?”
The reasons she stayed away—of which there were plenty—rose in her mind, but she wouldn’t share them.She didn’t even like to think about them.
She shrugged.“Just busy.”She finished her beer and used that as an excuse to get up and go to the kitchen.Setting her empty on the counter, she went to the freezer.“Don’t suppose you have any of that ice cream left?”
“Yep.Saved it for you.But I’ll take a scoop if you’re dishing up.”
She pulled out the container and decided dishes would be redundant.Grabbing two spoons, she went back to the living room.Just like that, they’d both evaded topics they preferred to avoid.Which was fine with her.Things were great as they were, and if they both wanted to keep from getting too personal, she was totally onboard.
