My gaze turns away, and I peer over at him through my lashes. “Not about this, no.”
He rubs the back of his neck, looking almost shy. It’s dangerous to my sanity.
“You mad at me for taking you out?”
I force my hands into my pockets and shake my head.
“No. It has nothing to do with that.”
He sighs loudly, wanting me to elaborate, but I can’t. I won’t.
“You seriously not going to share?”
My lips roll between my teeth, and I shake my head again. “No, can we just go downstairs?”
Another heavy sigh meets my ears. “Yeah, alright.”
He walks to the door and pulls it open. He steps through it without a backward glance, and I’m left to trail after him.
When we make it downstairs, I see Liam is in the kitchen, making sandwiches. He’s bent over as if he’s perfecting a masterpiece, and as I draw closer, I realize they might actually taste good.
Caleb groans when he sees what Liam is making. “Yes. I love your sandwiches. A true master at work. They look amazing.”
“Well, they’re ready,” Liam says, scooting two plates our way.
I take mine with a soft murmured “thank you” and move to the kitchen table. Caleb follows, sitting down next to me. He scoots his chair over until our thighs are touching, his ankle hooked around mine.
“This is amazing,” he groans, consuming half the sandwich in just a few bites.
I don’t even know if he tasted it.
I eat mine less like a hungry Labrador and more like someone with manners. But as I thought, they are delicious. Liam has a talent with sandwiches that few people have.
I catch Liam’s gaze, and he grins at me. He looks so much like Caleb right now.
Speaking of Caleb, he shifts closer to me. He’s almost on my lap now. I shouldn’t be surprised, but he’s effortlessly intimate. Like it costs him nothing to be this close.
I wonder if he knows he’s doing this or if he’s just reckless and unashamed of it.
What must that feel like?
To just exist as you are, without hesitation or fear?
What would that freedom taste like?
“Anne’s going to be pissed she missed this,” Liam says, waving a hand between us, pulling me from my thoughts.
Caleb rolls his eyes and laughs. “Yeah, well, maybe Whit and I’ll entice her out of her hidey-hole next time.”
I peer over at him, and he explains, “His wife’s an artist and goes through these phases where she just paints. We don’t see her for weeks while she’s creating shit.”
“Yep. Gets really focused,” Liam says as he gulps down the rest of his soda and lets out a bullhorn burp. I’ve never heard something so loud in my entire life. That really must be a skill.
He grins at my shocked face and then fist-bumps Caleb before nodding toward the door.
“Well, as much as I’d like to stay and chat, I’ve got to go set shit onfire. I’ll be back tomorrow morning for more fun. I’ll see if Anne can come. She’ll want to see your boyfriend again.”
“We can’t wait,” Caleb says, and I eye him, unsure why he still hasn’t corrected them on what we are.