He sighs. “I believe you, Gracie.”
He believes me. It’s better than nothing. “Then what’s the problem?”
His gaze roams my face, then gruffly mutters, “He’s your ex-boyfriend is what’s wrong. It’s not you I don’t trust. Him, on the other hand . . .” He looks away as if he’s contemplating something, sighs, then turns back to face me. “I know what it’s like to love and lose you. You’re not easy to get over, Gracie. I know we can’t change the past, but I don’t have to like it. I guess I’m just jealous.”
I know that feeling all too well. “You don’t need to be jealous, I promise,” I reassure him. “You are kind of stuck with me as long as you want me.”
He grins, his hand leaving my cheek. “Come here.” His fingers fist the front of my T-shirt, and he yanks me until our lips mesh into a soul-searing kiss. He groans, pulling back to rest his forehead on mine. “So, you want me to ask Ivan if Levi’s addicted to his meds?”
I cringe. “Well, not in those words exactly. But, yes. I might be wrong, though.”
“Okay.”
“Ohh-kay,” I repeat. But the word comes out slow and unsure.
Sol tilts his head to the side in question. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Um, there’s something else I need to tell you.” Before I can get it out, the door opens, and MJ wobbles in, face flushed, lips bruised. Ivan appears in the doorway, wearing the same look as MJ. He looks much more alert than when he got here.
“Talk went well?” Sol asks, sounding amused. He seems to have forgotten about what I wanted to tell him. I inwardly breathe a sigh of relief.
Ivan’s eyes dart to MJ, but she’s digging for something inside her desk drawer and mutters, “Nope.”
“You ready to head out?” Ivan asks Sol, his gaze darting between us.
“Go have fun. I’ll text you later,” I tell him.
Ivan looks at my best friend like he wants to stalk over and pick up where he left off. “I’ll see you later? We can finish the talk.”
“So, you guys didn’t actually talk outside,” I say, then bite my lips to keep my smile at bay.
MJ shoots me a glare. “Oh, shut up,” she mutters. Then to Ivan, she says, “I think we said everything outside.”
He steps closer, dipping his chin down so that he’s staring at her through his lashes. “No, we didn’t.”
“Oh God,” Sol mumbles. “If this is foreplay, you two need to tell us so we can leave the room.”
Sol sends me a wink, and I snicker.
“Ugh. Fine. I’ll drop by later,” MJ grumbles. “And keep your hands to yourself next time.”
Sol and I exchange a glance, then we laugh. Carefully, he navigates his body out of the bed, then grabs the crutches. After giving me a chaste kiss on my lips, he stands and heads for the door.
“So, what happened out there? You kissed, right? You looked a little hot and bothered when you walked in,” I ask my best friend after the boys leave.
She sighs and flops on her bed. “We were talking, and somehow, it turned into an argument. Then the next second, our lips were locked, and I was holding on like a koala bear . . .” She hides her face in her hands.
“And you’re heading to his place later to pick up where you left off?”
She shakes her head. “If he even attempts to get closer to me, I’ll yell, ‘Stay two feet away, motherfucker.’”
I laugh, then walk over and climb into her bed, flipping on my back and turning my head to face her. “Do you want some advice? I know I’m like the worst person to give relationship advice.” She nods eagerly. “Go talk. Convince him that you two are meant to be. Tie him down if you have to.”
Her eyes widen. “What?”
I chuckle. “I’m kidding.”
She sighs. “It’s been like two months. Is it that hard to decide if he wants to spend his life with me?”
“MJ, you guys are still young and that’s a big decision. Maybe give him some time—”
“Quick question: if Sol were to ask you if you want to spend your life with him, what would you say? Would you tell him it’s a big decision?”
Everything Sol and I have gone through plays in my head. The thought of living a life where he’s not in it makes me shudder. We’ve been there, done that. It was living hell.
I shake my head. “I’d say yes.” I take a deep breath and continue, “But Sol and I aren’t you and Ivan. Every couple has their own path. It took us a long time to get where we are. I’m really sorry, MJ. I see how miserable you are, and I want you two to get back together. You deserve to be happy. I want you to be happy.”
She kisses my cheek, then climbs over my body to stand. “I’ll just shower, then go over to tie him down and convince him. Again.”
I laugh. “Oh, hey. Is it okay if Sol stays over? We’ll behave, I promise.”
She shrugs. “Of course. As long as he keeps his jeans on. If I hear the sound of a zipper being pulled down . . .” She lets the sentence trail off as she walks out of the room.
Laughing, I climb out of MJ’s bed and walk over to my desk to text Sol.
“You cool hanging here?” Ivan asks, handing me one of the two beers he’s holding.
“No beer. Water?”
“Shit. Sorry, I forgot you’re taking meds.” He walks back into the kitchen and returns minutes later with a bottle of water.
“Thanks.” I snap the cap off and gulp half of the contents. “Yeah. I’m good.”
I glance at the room filled with Ivan’s housemates, my gaze landing on Levi. He’s sitting in a recliner near the kitchen, laughing at something Gage says. Next to him is a guy Ivan introduced to me as Mesh. From what Ivan told me in the past, the dude isn’t much of a talker. Like right now, he’s scanning the room with a bored look. Our eyes lock, and he nods subtly in my direction. I give him a two-finger salute.
My gaze wanders back to Levi. He looks okay, I guess. Normal. Nothing seems to be out of place. Maybe Grace was wrong? But from the handful of psychology classes I took at the seminary, I know people are really good at hiding behind a façade. As if sensing me, his gaze snaps in my direction, and a scowl makes an appearance. He didn’t seem very happy when Ivan and I arrived thirty minutes ago. In fact, he looked downright irritated.
Levi grimaces as he moves his injured leg before returning his focus back to Gage.
“Hey. How’s Levi doing?” I ask Ivan.
His brows shoot up, then he tips the bottle of beer to his mouth. “Good, as far as I know. Why the sudden concern?”
I rub my palm along my jaw. “Just asking.” I watch him again, then ask, “Have you noticed anything, um, odd?”
Ivan squints at me. “What is this about, Callan?”
I fidget with the cap on my bottle of water, thinking of an answer that won’t end up putting Grace in trouble.
“I’m just looking out for him. I know exactly what he went through, so yeah.”
Ivan tilts the bottle against his lips and gulps down the beer, then sets the empty bottle down on the floor. “You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”