I force a crooked smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever passed up sex before.”
“Why start now?” he asks playfully.
“Because I’m a fucking idiot.”
He lets out an easy laugh as he nods. “Love will do that to you.”
* * *
I saidgoodbye to Geo over an hour ago. I couldn’t even him give him the kiss I’m sure he was leaning in for. Now I’m sitting in my car in front of Isabel and Hunter’s house, debating on whether or not I want to go in. It’s only nine. They will still be up, but I don’t know if I can face them.
We’ve barely had to coexist in this house since we got back from our trip a few days ago. And I’m not really looking forward to the first time we will. So far, after only three days, things between us have not naturally fallen back into place like they were supposed to. I don’t know if it’s because we need more time together or more time apart, but this tension is going to be the death of me. I just want my friends back.
Finally gathering up some courage, I get out of the car and walk up to the front door with my spare key. As I step into the house, I smell the aroma of something sweet filling the space. There’s music playing from a speaker somewhere and I stop on the doormat as I watch Isabel cross the brightly lit kitchen in nothing but a T-shirt and apron. She’s sliding a muffin pan out of the oven as she sways her hips to the Sam Cooke song playing.
I scan the room for Hunter, and when I don’t see him, I almost turn around and walk out of the house. Not today. Icannothandle this temptation today.
But she sees me first, and it’s too late to bolt. “Hey!” she calls. “I’m baking cupcakes…” Her voice carries, and I know by the playfulness to it that she’s drunk.
“You are?” I ask as I close the front door and head into the large kitchen.
“Yep. I got vanilla and strawberry.” She reaches her finger into the batter, and holds it out to me. “Try it.”
My mouth forms a crooked grin as I step closer. With my eyes on her, I close my mouth around her finger and lick it clean of the sweet mixture. She whimpers at me as I do.
Releasing her finger, I ask, “Where’s Hunter?”
“Upstairs,” she replies, her expression turning somber.
“Everything okay?”
She glances cautiously up at the stairs. Then in a low whisper, she replies, “We haven’t been talking much the past couple days.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugs in return. Then she gets back to work on the cupcakes, scooping them out onto the cooling rack.
“What are you drinking?” I ask with a smile. Her face contorts in confusion as she stares at me.
“Drinking?” Then a moment later, realization dawns, and she giggles. “Oh, no. I’m not drinking. I took an edible. It helps me relax.”
“Ah…” I reply. And then I swallow down the sudden wave of guilt that rises. I hate that she has to take anything to relax. I hate that I’m part of the reason she can’t relax in the first place.
“Want one?” she asks. “They’re not very strong. I’m just a lightweight.” She giggles again, and I smile wide as I watch her laugh to herself.
“No, thanks. I’m okay.”
“Okay,” she replies with another cute shrug.
Sitting on the barstool, I watch her bake. Every step is engrossing. Her nimble fingers measuring the ingredients, pouring them into the mixer, wiping the flour from her nose. It’s everything I wish the date with Geo had been. If that date had been half as satisfying as watching Isabel bake, I would be busy fucking his brains out right now. But by no fault of his own, there was nothing between us, nothing close to this.
When I hear footsteps behind me, I tense. Hunter enters the room and stands next to me, watching Isabel too.
“She’s high, isn’t she?”
I laugh. “Yep.”
“She only bakes when she’s high.”