Page 38 of This Life and All the Rest
“Oh! You were at the rec center,” she exclaims, then slides into the booth next to Lennon. “I’m Payton! It’s my birthday.”
“Nice to meet you, Payton,” Lennon says dryly, not even trying to feign interest. I have to bite my cheek to keep my smirk from turning into an amused smile. “Happy birthday.”
“You guys know each other?” Payton asks, and Casper nods.
“Went to high school together,” he says, flashing me a grin. “We go way back.”
Payton whips her head to me like she’s just made a brilliant discovery. I keep my eyes on Lennon.
“Macon!” Payton shouts, swatting at me playfully. “You know Capri too, then?”
I cock my head to the side and scan Lennon’s face before answering. Her expression is blank, but her eyes are all fire, and suddenly, I want to find some gasoline.
“Nope,” I say, popping the p. “I don’t know anyone named Capri.”
Casper chuckles and Lennon releases an annoyed scoff. She rolls her eyes and looks away, but I bring her attention back to me by leaning into the booth and grabbing her hand that was resting on the table.
I want to throw her off guard. I want to make her feel as unsettled as she makes me.
Her eyes go wide, but she doesn’t pull away as I lift her hand to my lips.
“I’m Macon,” I say, never breaking eye contact as I press a kiss to the back of her hand. “It’s nice to meet you,Capri.”
Her mouth drops open slightly, but she doesn’t say anything. I rub my thumb over her palm before slowly releasing her. She places her hand in her lap and swallows before saying, “you too.”
I fist my hand that was just touching her skin, flexing my fingers as if I can trap the feeling of her in my palm. I raise my drink and take a sip, hoping the cool liquid will tame the rising heat of my body temperature. It doesn’t.
“Capri was just telling me how she needs a place to stay,” Casper says. “Apparently, the place she was staying is now infested with vermin.”
I choke on my drink as Lennon laughs, then she watches me with wide eyes as I catch my breath through my smile.
“Vermin?” I choke out, and she shrugs.
“It was the nicest way to put it,” she says, full lips curled into a flirty smirk that I’m sure mine are mirroring. “I’m waiting to hear back from a friend.”
She lifts her drink to her mouth and presses the glass to her lower lip. I watch as she sips, her eyes never leaving me.
“Who’s your friend?” Payton asks, oblivious, and my shoulders fall slightly when Lennon looks away from me to answer the question.
“Her name is Sam. I’m waiting to see if I can crash at her place.”
My back stiffens, and I flick my eyes to Casper. He’s staring at me, sending me warning signals. Lennon didn’t drop the last name, and I’m certain that was intentional, but Casper and I know who she’s talking about.
There is no fucking way I’m letting her stay at Senator Harper’s house.
I hear Payton ask a question, and when I tune back in, Lennon is explaining that her “friend” is supposed to be texting her back soon when she knows if her parents’ house is free.
“I asked her if she wanted to stay with me,” Casper says, “but my little apartment is too small for her paintings, and she’s allergic to cats.”
“You paint?” Payton perks up, and Lennon nods with a smile.
“I do,” she says proudly. “Watercolors, mostly. Abstract impressionism.”
“She’s kind of famous,” Casper says, and Lennon laughs, bumping his arm with her own.
“Hardly,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“Check this out.” Casper types something into his phone, then turns the screen to Payton. “That’s her online gallery.”
