“Oh Jesus Christ,” Scott muttered under his breath.
“I’m sorry, what?” Lyra said, eyes wide and hesitant.
“When you fell…from Heaven.” Dev gave her a confident wink.
Lyra turned to me, both eyebrows raised. “Are you kidding me right now?”
With the most casual laugh I could muster, I pulled Dev away. “Game’s on in the living room. Let me get you a beer.”
Dev winked at Lyra. “Save me a seat, beautiful.”
I shook my head as I grabbed a beer for my friends. “Real subtle, genius. Now, could you please get Cara away from my girlfriend?”
“What’s the big deal? So you guys used to hook up; it’s been over for months—move on, dude.”
“Hah! That’s hilarious coming from you,” I sneered.
“Okay, okay,” Scott, always the referee, jumped in, grabbing a beer. “Let’s go sit down.”
“Fine,” Dev said, narrowing his eyes at me. His nostrils flared as he glowered at me and my reference to Trupti. Normally I would never say something so obvious, but I was freaking the hell out. I couldn’t let Cara have any opportunities to poison what Maren and I had going. And if I was honest with myself, I didn’t want Maren to know about my pattern with Cara. I was embarrassed that I’d done it in the first place—the last thing I wanted was to have my nose rubbed in my past in front of the girl I was falling for.
And yes, I was falling for her. Hard.
“Is this a setup or something?” I overheard Lyra asking Maren. “Because you know I don’t like surprises.”
“No, I promise.”
“Ignore him,” I interrupted. “He’s fresh out of a breakup. It’s messing with him a bit.”
“Fresh?” Allison scoffed. “It’s been over a year. He’s just spending too much time on Tinder. It’s turned him into a total man-whore, which he never was before. He’s a sweetheart, really.” She turned to look at him. “But he hasn’t been himself in a long time. Breaks my heart.”
“Well, I’m not looking for anything… I’m seeing someone.”
“You’re what?” Maren asked, sounding shocked. “Who?”
“Can we talk about it later?” Lyra said with clenched teeth.
“Fine,” Maren said, indignant. I smiled at her, but she looked away, avoiding eye contact.
Shit.
Until I realized she wasn’t avoiding eye contact, she was fixated on what was happening in my kitchen. Cara was gliding from cabinet to cabinet like she owned the place—straightening cans and rearranging wineglasses. I watched her in horror, glancing between her and Maren. When Cara dipped her finger into the fig jam I’d prepped for our main dish and put it to her lips, I thought I was going to blow a gasket.
“Excuse me,” I said, trying to sound casual when I was fuming. I stalked toward Cara, blocking her from opening another cabinet.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
Cara licked her finger again and cocked her head to the side. “Whatever do you mean? You said to make ourselves at home, so that’s what I’m doing.”
I glanced over at Maren, who seemed deep in conversation with Lyra and Allison. But I could tell by the look on her face that she was distracted by Cara and me.
“No. You’re marking your territory.”
“So what if I am?”
“It’s not yours to mark, Cara.”
“I disagree.” Cara’s tone was snide, and a voice in my head told me she was here to blow up my relationship. “I was here first.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Look, here’s the deal.” She cleared her throat and placed her hands on her hips. “I can see you’re quite the smitten kitten at the moment, but in a few months Little Miss Bookworm will be gone and it’ll be you and me, just like it always is.”
Cara reached for the refrigerator door, but I slammed it closed with daggers in my eyes.
“Not this time.”
“Whatever. I know you better than you know you. And I’m happy to wait her out.”
“Cara,” Allison’s voice pierced through the tension. “C’mon, let’s go watch the game.”
Cara glared at her, knowing Allison’s true motive—to get her out of the kitchen and away from me. Allison was never a fan of my arrangement with Cara, nor was she a fan of Cara in general. They’d simply tolerated one another the years. Cara grabbed a bottle of Tito’s, poured herself a shot, and downed it, slamming the glass upside down on the counter. A pool of vodka formed on the granite.
“Fine, whatever. Go, Seahawks.” Cara rolled her eyes and reluctantly followed Allison to my living room.
Immediately, I searched the room for Maren.
“She’s in the bathroom,” Lyra said.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.” Lyra paused for a moment. “But what was that all about? Maren said Cara was just a friend… I’m not convinced, and I doubt she is either, not after that display.”
“It’s…complicated. But yes, we’re friends. We were, anyway. After tonight, I may be cutting ties completely.”
Lyra paused. “Here’s the thing. I know my best friend—she’s really into you and her guard is down. If you hurt her, you know I’ll have your ass.”
I nodded, swallowing hard.
“So, don’t screw it up,” Lyra said, glaring at Cara, who was pouting next to Dev as he scrolled through his phone. “And set that one straight. She’s just too much.”
“I know. I hope you know how much I adore Maren.”
“I do, and she’s not the jealous type, but there’s just something about that one… I don’t trust her.”
“I get it.”
“You’re good together. Don’t let anyone stand in the way of that.”
“Does that mean I have your approval?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Almost.”
“Maren,” I said, as she approached, walking to her and taking her hand in mine.
“It’s probably time to sear the pork,” she said with a weak smile, glancing at Lyra, who winked and nodded. Maren’s shoulders relaxed, and she gave me another smile. I could tell she was doing her best to act normal, but it was obvious that she was struggling to be nonchalant. I poured some wine into two glasses.
“Why don’t we sit for a minute? The pork can wait.”
“Um…” She looked confused, and a tiny crease formed above her nose. “Okay.”
She followed me to the dining room table that was already adorned with brown sugar-and fig-scented candles that she’d brought from her shop. The rich scent of figs enveloped us as we sat. Maren placed her hands in her lap and waited for me to begin.
“Look, I’m sorry Cara showed up. I didn’t invite her.”
“I could tell.” Maren paused. She bit down on her lower lip before speaking and I knew she was choosing her words carefully. “She just seems…really comfortable in your apartment.”
“Yeah, um…that day in your shop, when I told you that I had taken her out to eat as an apology, that was all true. And I said we were friends, which is also true. But it’s a little more complicated than that, unfortunately.”
“Did you date?”
“Kinda, I mean…we were friends who hooked up from time to time. But I promise you that part of our relationship is over. Totally over.“
“Does she know that?”
“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure she’s in denial. And I’m so sorry that she’s making you uncomfortable. This night was supposed to be fun; now it’s turning into a shitshow.”
“It’s not a shitshow,” Maren said with a laugh, and I was relieved to hear her normal demeanor peeking through. “And she doesn’t scare me. It’ll be fine. As long as she knows you’re off limits, I’ll be nice….even though I’d rather not be.”
“I get it.” I nodded. “I’m sorry. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my weird relationship with her before.”
“No, it’s fine. Even if I already knew about you guys, it would still b
e awkward, maybe even more so. It’s just one night; we’ll make the best of it. And your other friends are great. Jury’s still out on Dev, though.” She raised one eyebrow and laughed.
“Despite the fact that he really shit the bed tonight, he is a good guy. He’s just going through some stuff. ”
“We’ve all been there.” She nodded, a soft and genuine smile brightening her gorgeous face. “Don’t take this the wrong way, because you know I’m crazy about you and I think you’re the most handsome man in any room you’re in, but Dev’s hot. Like super hot. Like he could be a model hot.”
I grimaced, pressing my hand to my heart. “Ouch.”
“No, I just mean… Why is he going overboard with the ridiculous pick-up lines? If he had just talked to Lyra like a normal person, he may have actually had a shot. But now she’s tuned him out.”
“Plus, she’s seeing someone.”
“Ugh, don’t even get me started on that.” She shook her head. “But why does Dev do that?”
“His ex ripped his heart out, and he’s still not over it. Deep down, I think he’s still waiting for her to change her mind and come back to him. So, he doesn’t really want anything more than a distraction.”
“Poor guy.”
I took her hand in mine. “So, aside from your obvious attraction to my friend…”
She playfully slapped my hand. “Oh my God, stop!”
“I’m totally kidding. In all seriousness, though, are we okay?”
“You and me?”
I nodded.
“Absolutely.” She rose from her chair, “Now, if you burn dinner, that might be a different story. I’m starving.”
I laughed and glanced at my watch. “Shit, how is it seven already?”
“C’mon, I’ll help.”
“What would I do without you?” I asked, wrapping an arm around her hip and gently patting her ass.
She turned and kissed me on the cheek. “Let’s not find out.”
Chapter 13
MAREN
“Okay, Maren, what have you done to him? He’s never cooked like this before.” Scott grinned before popping another piece of tenderloin into his mouth.
“I cook,” Peter protested before squeezing my hand. “But yes, she’s helped me up my game. I won’t deny that.”
“It’s a little dry,” Cara said, wrinkling her nose and shrugging. “Might wanna invest in a meat thermometer, Pete.”
Ugh, the way she called him Pete…it made me stabby.
“Seriously?” Dev asked, looking shocked. “Mine’s perfect.”
“Same here. Not dry at all,” Allison’s retort was friendly, reassuring. I really liked Allison. She was tall with long auburn hair tied up in a high ponytail. She had pale skin and dozens of freckles along the bridge of her nose. She was beautiful and confident. But most importantly, she was kind. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same about Cara. Since the day I met her briefly in my shop, she’d been nothing but rude, entitled, and clingy. I trusted Peter, I did, but she made me uncomfortable—so much so that my normally impervious facade was shattered. Everyone at the table could see just how uneasy I was, and I hated that. I hated wearing my heart on my sleeve and had taught myself, for the most part, how to keep a stiff upper lip, how not to crack under pressure. But Cara was making me crack, and I hated her for it.
“Normally I’m not a fan of pork, but this is delicious, Peter,” Lyra said, nudging my knee with her own. “Someone’s a natural in the kitchen.”
God, thank you for Lyra. Seriously.
“I bet you’re a natural at a lot of things, Lyra,” Dev said, nodding to Lyra with his eyebrows raised. She rolled her eyes.
“Dude,” Scott said, shaking his head. “What the hell? What is with you tonight?”
Lyra dramatically stabbed a green bean before placing half of it in her mouth and chomping it off. She finished chewing, set down her fork and took a quick sip of wine before addressing Dev. “Not sure what you’re implying, but I am a woman of many talents. So thanks.”
“Please. You work at a bookstore. It’s not exactly brain surgery,” Cara scoffed in her snootiest voice. I wanted to drop-kick her. I could feel my pulse quickening as my mouth dropped open. Not only was she insulting my shop, she was degrading all Lyra’s hard work in keeping my business a success.
Lyra dropped her silverware to her plate; the steel clanged against the porcelain. Placing a hand over hers, I jumped in. “Not that there’s anything wrong with Lyra’s current occupation, but she has much more on the horizon. She’s going to be a librarian, she’s better at yoga than half the teachers in Seattle, and she can quote Jane Austen better than anyone I know. So, yes, she’s a natural at a lot of things.”
“Who reads Jane Austen?” Cara snickered.
Allison, Lyra, Scott, and I responded at the same time. “I do.”
The guys looked at Scott, whose cheeks reddened.
“Seriously, dude?” Dev asked, laughing.
“What? I minored in English lit.”
“Why exactly?” Dev teased. Peter cracked up.
“Shut it, dude.” Scott ran a hand through his sandy-blond hair and took another bite of his dinner. A brief silence hung in the air above our table. I decided to cut the tension.
“Guys who read the classics are sexy,” I said, giving Scott a reassuring smile.
“For real?” Dev asked. I could hear the skepticism in his voice.
“Oh yeah. So sexy,” Lyra agreed.
“Don’t play with me,” Dev said, pointing a finger at Lyra, who laughed.
“I’m dead serious. A man who can quote Austen is all kinds of hot,” she replied, nodding emphatically.
“Girl, I’ll read Austen for you. I’ll read it so hard, you’ll be begging for more,” Dev said to Lyra, licking his lips and giving her a sexy smolder.
“What is that?” Lyra asked, her voice impassive.
“What?”
“The face you’re making.”
“It’s just my face.” Dev shrugged, looking clueless, which seemed to annoy Lyra further.
“No, it isn’t.”
Peter leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“Look away. He’s gonna grow on you.”
Playfully, I nudged Peter’s arm before whispering back, “Not a chance.”
He smiled and took another bite of his food.
“Does this work for you? Be honest,” Lyra continued, grilling Dev.
Dev sat back in his chair, placing his elbows on the table and joining his hands together. “It’s not working?”
“Not at all,” Lyra deadpanned.
Allison giggled, holding a napkin in front of her face. Dev shrugged and laughed. “Well, that makes you the first, baby girl.”
“Doubtful.”
“Dev, ignore her,” Cara sneered. “There are plenty of girls who would love to be with you…no reading required.” She was speaking to Dev, but her eyes never left Peter.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Dev said, looking proud of himself. Lyra rolled her eyes.
“Who has room for dessert?” Peter asked, attempting to quash the awkward turn this conversation had taken. And I knew Cara staring at him so intently was making him all kinds of uncomfortable. It wasn’t doing much for me either.
“Maren made the most incredible butterscotch pecan pie,” he added.
“Sounds delicious.”
“Sign me up.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’m allergic to nuts,” Cara said, and Dev choked on his wine. I turned to Lyra, knowing she couldn’t resist the urge to quote Clueless, one of her favorite movies, and most famous Austen adaptation.
Lyra tilted her head to the side with narrowed eyes, and I knew it was coming. I just knew it.
3…2…1.
“Well, there goes your social life.”
The rest of the table erupted in laughter as Lyra glared at Cara. Cara scowled and tossed her napkin onto her plate.
“Hilarious.”
She pressed her lips together into a thin, angry line.
“Oh my God, Lyra, where have you been all my life?” Allison exclaimed, leaning into Scott. She grabbed her glass of wine and lifted it above the center of the table. “To new friends.”
All but Cara raised our glasses and repeated her toast.
“To new friends.”
“And to Jane Austen…who’s gonna get me laid.” Dev gulped down the rest of his wine and slammed his glass onto the table.
“Dev!” Allison screeched, her eyes wide and her cheeks red.
“What?”
Just as Peter stood and cleared my plate and his, Cara spoke. “Pete, can I talk to you in private?”
“Um.” He glanced down at me, concern in his eyes. I knew if I wanted him to, he would deny her request. But I didn’t want to be that kind of person. I wanted him to know he had my trust. I nodded, holding my chin high. “It’s fine, go.”
Peter sighed, following her into the kitchen.
“Looks like someone’s about to get bitch-slapped,” Dev said, leaning back in his chair. “Go get him, Cara!”
“Geez, Dev, would you give it a rest?” Allison said, looking annoyed.
“What? I’m just trying to break the tension. I mean, someone had to do it.”
“How do you not realize that you’re making things worse?” Lyra hissed.
“For who?”
“Um, for everyone! Especially Maren. For God’s sake, I’ve never met anyone so clueless.”
“Lyra—”
“No, Maren, he’s done nothing but make a fool out of himself the entire night. And now he’s gone too far. It’s not funny anymore. We all know Cara is desperately trying to hang on to someone who’s clearly not hers, and this jackass is encouraging her delusions.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. I trust Peter. Really, I’m okay.”
Dev was quiet. He looked down at his empty plate. After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat and rose to his feet, pushing his chair underneath the table. “You’ve been nothing but a pain in my ass since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Lyra rolled her eyes and mocked, “You mean like two hours ago?”
“Screw Jane Austen; you’re not worth the trouble. I’m out.”
“Dev—” Lyra said with a sigh.
Melt With Me: A With Me In Seattle Universe Novel Page 11
