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He looks from his hand to my face, and his demeanor shifts. He takes a step back and shakes his head, seeming to snap out of whatever was on his mind. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

I take my own step back and scratch my head.

The chicken is marinating in a ziplock bag, and I pull each piece out with the fork, placing it on the pan. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get this on the grill.”

Beckham nods. “I’ll be here.”

Literally, what is happening right now?It seems like he’s making some kind of effort to keep things nice since we’re stuck living together. But I feel like I have whiplash.

I’ve been thinking more and more about how things between us ended so … abruptly.

Once upon a time, Beck was the boy who threw pebbles at my window late at night just so I could come to the window and blow him a kiss. He said he had nightmares sometimes, and I was the only thing that brought him peace on those nights. I never asked what his dreams were about. I just wanted to be there for him.

After the breakup, he avoided me like the plague. Maybe that was him treating me the way I was treating him.

My heart was shattered, and I couldn’t drop the wall I’d built around myself.

I know things won’t go back to the way they were before, yet I’m trying to figure out if I should allow myself to become emotionally invested in him again or stay guarded.

Slowly, I feel that wall falling down.

Outside, I find Archie sitting in one of the outdoor chairs on the patio. Still on his phone, but no longer texting.

“Whatcha looking at?” I ask him.

Lifting the lid, I start placing the chicken on the grill.

“Sugar, that sizzle tells me this meal is gonna be top-tier.” When I look over, he winks at me, smiling, then goes back to his phone. “I’m just looking at Instagram. One of my little brothers plays hockey on a junior league in New England, and he made the highlight reel from his game last night. He’s badass.”

“That’s awesome. I remember Casey saying something about your brother, but I don’t think we have ever met him, have we? Which one is this? You have a few brothers, right?”

“Yeah, I have five younger brothers. This one is Aiden. Our schedules don’t really line up because he starts training around the same time I do. We talk all the time though. When my season ends, I try to make it to as many of his nearby games that I can. Out of all of my brothers, we’re the closest and the most alike, so it’s been tough, not being able to see him play the last few years, but it’ll be worth it. Looks like he’ll get drafted at the end of the season this year,” he says with pride.

“That’s amazing, Arch. And you’ll enter the draft this year, too, so that’s big time for your family. Two boys going to play professional sports. Pretty unique.”

“Yep, my mama fed us well.” He laughs.

“Sounds like it. Okay, I’m heading back in to get the rest cut up.” I shut the lid, grab the pan, and walk back into the house.

Beckham has laid the potatoes on a paper towel next to the cutting board. He’s still in front of the sink, leaning back, but he’s got his phone in his hands now.

I set the pan down, roll up the foil, and toss it into the garbage bin next to the sink. Then I grab a knife out of the butcher block and start cutting some red pepper that’s already sitting on the cutting board.

“You get the chicken on the grill?” Beck asks while pocketing his phone into his track pants.

“Yep, it’s cookin’. Archie was just telling me about his brother Aiden, who’s probably going into the draft this year. I guess he’s a hockey player.”

Beck nods. “Yeah, kid has sick skills on the ice. Seems to have a good head on his shoulders too. They get those kids young though. I hope he’s ready for diving into pro life.”

“How old is he? I thought he was only a year or so younger than Archie.”

Shaking his head, he says, “No, he’s a few years younger. I think he turns eighteen soon though.”

Finishing the peppers, I move back to the fridge to grab an onion. I chop it up and add it to the bowl of peppers. “Can you grab the olive oil, salt, and pepper for me?”

“Yep.” He turns around and pulls them out of one of the cabinets on the side of the range hood and sets them on the counter next to the bowls.

“Thanks,” I say quietly.