“And you’re having a baby with someone else!” I shake my head and storm out, racing down the steps. Out on the street, I lean against the side of the building and close my eyes, fighting the urge to go back upstairs, to kiss him again and say I was wrong. Instead, I count to ten and dry my eyes, and then I glance up the street to get my bearings. A familiar truck sits idling in the middle of the road, penned in by a line of cars.LA traffic. Tommy lays on the horn, but no one appears to be moving anywhere.
I sprint toward it, dive over the hood of a cab and hurl myself at the door. I slap my hand against the window, and Mace lifts his head from his hand to look down at me.
He rolls the window down. “What are you doing?”
“Hitching a ride. Scooch over.”
“No can do, buttercup,” Tommy says. “This ain’t a bench seat.”
I open the door and reach out a hand to Mace. He pulls me up and I settle into his lap.
“If I get a ticket for you riding your boyfriend while you ride shotgun, I’m not paying for that shit.”
I poke my tongue out and thread my fingers with Mace’s. All his anger seems to melt as I bring our joined hands to rest on my waist. I lay back, relishing his strong arms around me. “For the record, it’s not the Gabe and Lo show. That shit got canceled.”
He gives a small humorless laugh. “Seems like the network got it wrong then, because I feel like I’ve been watching reruns for the last five years.”
“It’s the Lo and Mace show now.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Jesus, between the two of you and the midday traffic, I’ve never had more reason to off my fucking self,” Tommy says.
“Shut up, Tommy,” we both say at once.
I drop Mace’s hands and shift in his lap, so I can better see his face. Mace isn’t just my friend, I definitely care about him, I love him like family, and it doesn’t hurt that he looks like an Instagram model with a “fuck the universe” attitude. I could be happy with him. Ishouldbe happy with him.
“Ask me again,” I whisper.
“What?”
“Ask me to move in with you.”
His dark eyes search mine. “Move in with me.”
“Okay.”
His brows shoot up. “Seriously? You’re not pulling my dick?”
I flash him a toothy grin. “I love your mouth.”
“Yeah? And how do you feel about the rest of me?”
I shrug. “You’re okay, I guess.”
“Liar.”
“Well, why don’t you take me back to your place and find out?”
“Our place,” he corrects.
I bite my lip. This could be the dumbest plan I’ve ever had but “our place” did have a nice ring to it. Mace was a good man. He’s good to me, and even if I can’t give him my whole heart yet, he deserves someone who will at least try.
I’m going to be that someone, even if it kills me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Lo