“Oh, you’re shit at cards,” Lukas mumbled. “Always have been.”
“That’s because you’re the one who taught me,” Grady shot back. “Not my fault, my teacher was shit.”
“Fuck you,” Lukas said, pounding his fist on the dining room table.
I brought my beer up to my lips. “If the boot fits… You gotta wear it.”
“Whatever this is,” he said, pointing between Grady and me, “needs to fucking stop.”
Grady leaned back in his seat, bracing his hands behind his head. “Don’t be mad because you suck. Be thankful for the precious memories we made tonight.”
I nudged Grady’s arm. “I, for one, will always think back on the time you got your ass handed to you by a nine-year-old with a smile.”
“Fuck you both,” Lukas muttered. “I’m glad Olivia divorcedyou.” Then he slid his gaze to me. “I pray to god she doesn’t end up with you next.”
Unease settled in the pit of my stomach as I took a sip of beer. I knew Lukas would want to talk about how affectionate I’d been with Olivia over the past few days, but I sure as fuck didn’t want him doing it in front of her ex-husband.
To call me out, not only while Olivia was in the same room but also while Grady was now staring at me, was uncomfortable as fuck.
“I’m gonna grab another beer. You want one?” I tried to stand, but Lukas grabbed my elbow and tugged me back down.
“Oh, no you don’t,” he said, narrowing his gaze. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you and her have been canoodling lately.”
“Jesus Christ. What are you? Eighty? Who the fuck sayscanoodling?”
“And now you’re deflecting,” Lukas said. “Wonder why that is?”
I levelled him with a stare. “I’m not deflecting. It’s a weird fucking word choice.”
Grady placed his elbows on the table. “What exactly are your intentions with my ex-wife?”
“Yeah,” Lukas said, matching Grady’s posture. “What are your intentions with my sister?”
“I don’t have any. We live entirely different lives,” I mumbled, picking at the label along the bottle.
Our conversation this morning had been running through my mind all day. How she’d looked so pained at the thought of kissing me, of saying goodbye. There was no way we weren’t going to end up hurting one another. Especially when she was still dead set on leaving.
But my restraint was hanging on by a goddamn thread, and I’dneeded to kiss her at least once for my own sake. There was no way I could let her walk away without confirming what I already knew: I was well and truly fucked when it came to Olivia Hart.
The kiss was selfish on my part, but part of me hoped it would have been enough for her to at least consider staying. To figure out if this connection was worth exploring. But when I pulled away, I knew the decision had already been made. No amount of kisses or sweet words would be enough.
So, I decided that was it. I had to stop pining for Olivia and be the friend she needed.
Or so I hoped.
I glanced up, noticing Olivia’s eyes locked on me. The smile she’d been wearing earlier had slipped ever so slightly. Now, she looked deep in thought.
I couldn’t help but wonder if she was as torn up as I was about her decision. Likely not, since it remained absolute, but would she end up regretting that? Would she think of me every night before she went to bed, like I already did? Or would this flirtation simply be a fleeting memory? An anecdote we kept to ourselves?
Lukas tapped my arm, bringing me back to the unfortunate conversation at hand. “Stop ogling my sister right in front of me. It’s fucking weird.”
I turned toward my friend. “No, what’s weird is your vocabulary. Maybe I’ll get you a thesaurus for Christmas.”
“Look, I’m just trying to prepare myself for the inevitable conversation we’ll have where you tell me you’re sleeping with her.”
“Well, you can prepare yourself all you like, but that conversation’s never going to happen.”
“Don’t think I didn’t see the carrying or the hand holding yesterday,” Lukas said.