“Yeah, thanks.” I’m not expecting this green tea concoction because we Texans drink mostly black tea with lots of sugar, but it’s surprisingly good.
I hand it back to her and glance in the rear view again. Lily is knocked out in her car seat. Thanks to the additional mirror Sienna arranged back there, I can see the kid while I’m driving. I eventually agreed to do this so I could spend time with my daughter, who hasn’t been jazzed to hang out with me.
Every time I pick her up, she kicks and fusses and cries. Not gonna lie—it’s disheartening. I figured if we did something fun, maybe she’d warm up to me. The only drawback is that Janelle is along for the ride. Again, thank you, Johnny. You’re officially on my shit list.
When Janelle starts digging around in her giant purse, I turn to Sienna. “I’m stressed out,” I whisper.
“I can’t imagine why,” she whispers back with a sympathetic smile.
Goddamn, she’s cute. All sexy in some faded cutoffs, flip-flops, and a white tank top over a bikini. Her hair is in a messy bun. No makeup except what I’m guessing is a little to hide some bruising under her eyes. Plus, she smells delicious. Like vanilla and sugar and sunshine. It makes me want to lick all of that golden skin on display.
I really fucking dig this low-key girl.
“I have to pee,” Janelle whines from the backseat.
Dios ayúdame.
Yes, I find myself praying for help when I’m around this woman. We left not half an hour ago.
I pull into a gas station. She gets out and comes around to my window. I roll it down and frown at her when she leans her arms against my Rover.
“You want anything?” she asks while giving me those big doe eyes I used to love. She’s all made up today, lots of makeup, fake eyelashes that might affect the jet stream, and a string bikini with triangles that barely cover her nipples. If she leans over any farther, they’ll be in my face.
“Nah. Thanks. Hey, beautiful,” I call to Sienna as I turn to her. “You want anything?”
The smile she gives me is epic. Sienna likes the little nicknames I give her.
There’s something else I’d love to give her. I squash that thought almost as quickly as it comes to mind and repeat the mantra I’ve been telling myself all week—I will not perv on Sienna. She’s my friend. Friend.
She shakes her head.
When I return my attention to Janelle, she’s already walking away. I watch her sashay her ass into the store. It’s round. A handful. If I’m being honest, Janelle is a hot little dish. Like a Mexican Kardashian. She’s even more attractive than she was in high school, and that’s saying something because I thought she was a knockout then. But after everything that’s happened between us, now I know her character, and that far outweighs any external window dressing.
Part of me is terrified I’m gonna wake up one day and be pussy-whipped over her again, so I keep testing myself. Checking to see if I’m attracted to her. But nope. There’s nothing. Neither head is interested. I blow out a relieved breath.
Sienna clears her throat, and I blink, embarrassed she caught me checking out my ex, but she gives another one of those patient smiles she’s been leveling me with lately.
“She’s gorgeous,” she says quietly. “You’d have to be dead to not appreciate it.”
I glance at Lily in the rear view, grateful she’s still asleep, and I shake my head. “This whole thing is fucking me up.” I keep my voice low because I don’t want to wake up the baby. “She’s literally the last person on the planet I want to spend this vacation with. I mean, sure, she’s attractive, but once someone does you dirty, there’s no resurrecting any attraction. Which I’m grateful for.”
“I get that.” She sighs and looks out the window.
Of course Sienna would understand. She just got backstabbed by her boyfriend.
“I don’t mean to make this all about myself. You’ve been through some shit lately too. Has that asshole been bothering you?”
She pulls out her phone and opens her Instagram profile. “Someone has been tagging me in Cal’s vacation photos in the comments. I guess to make sure I see them?”
I take it from her outstretched hand and click through her notifications. He’s in small groups of girls in almost every photo. In at least two, he’s making out with someone.
“Is that your old roommate?” I ask out loud before I can think better of it.
“Yup. I half-thought to warn him she had herpes last year, but he can figure it out on his own.” She holds up her hand. “And before you ask, I had every STD test possible run at the hospital. I could barely see straight at the time, but I knew to ask for that.”
“Smart girl.” I grab her hand and thread my fingers through hers. “He’s not worthy of you. Truly. You’re extraordinary, Sienna.”
“I’m over him. It’s wild because the second he betrayed me, it’s like someone took a scalpel and removed him from my heart. So maybe I didn’t have the kind of feelings for him I thought I did. Mostly, though, I’m mad at myself for trusting people I shouldn’t have. It makes me doubt my judgment, which is the worst.”
I squeeze her hand. “Don’t let what he did affect who you are. You’re smart and sweet and bold.” And sexy as fuck, but I don’t say that because, again, we’re friends, not lovers. “The real travesty would be if you changed because of him.”
“I like how you think. And thank you for the lovely compliment.”
I release her hand and return her phone. “How’s your head?” She had the stitches removed this morning.
“Not bad. And I can hide the bald spot when I braid the hair around it.” She points to a small section of her bun that’s braided.
“Can’t tell at all.”
“I know, right?” She gives me one of those winning smiles, and I freeze, captivated by this beautiful woman.
I clear my throat. “Look, before Janelle returns, I just want to thank you for doing this. For playing along with everything so I can maintain some distance with her.”
“No problem. I’m happy to lend a hand.” Sienna fidgets with her tank. “Could I possibly ask for you to return the favor with Cal? Maybe just for the next few weeks? I know this is stupid, but I feel like it’ll help me save face a little. I don’t want him to know how devastated I was that he cheated with my best friend. To me, that’s the worst part of this. That and the fact the whole campus knew but me.”
Fuck. The guilt I’ve had over suspecting Winston was screwing girls behind her back comes roaring back. Why didn’t I tell Sienna? Should it have mattered that we weren’t close at the time? Men have this unspoken bro code that’s encouraged on sports teams, to facilitate camaraderie, and it’s bullshit. I’m over that crap. Especially when a good woman is hurt as a result.
I make a promise to myself to make it up to Sienna. Anything she needs, I’m her guy. The least I can do is reciprocate our charade so that dickhead can get a taste of his own medicine.
“You got it. I’d do anything for you, Cruz Control.”
And I mean every word.
15