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“Next time you should come,” he teases.
“Seriously, there’s a next time?”
“So, your mom says.” He shrugs, digging into his dish.
“You seem to have charmed my mother,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“I’m incredibly charming, but it doesn’t seem to work on you.” He grins. I glare at him. Which just makes him smile wider. “I truly am sorry for how things have turned out. On the island, you said that your life was constantly under a microscope, and I guess I didn’t understand what that meant until I saw that article about us. I get it. And I felt bad, that terrible moment was blasted for the world to see. Then I went and kissed you and added to it.”
“You don’t need to apologize. None of this is your fault. I appreciate you being worried about me but you’re not responsible for me.”
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” he asks. I nod. “Then I look after my friends. And as a friend, I’m going to tell you, call your brother and call your friends. Issy has been complaining that you’re not talking to her either.”
“Fine.” I sigh.
“Good girl.” I still.
He stills.
“Hmm, this is good,” he says, ignoring the tension that’s popped up between us, shoving as much beef tartare as possible into his mouth.
20
FELIX
“Did you set me up the other day?” I ask Sam as we take a run around Central Park this afternoon.
“You’re going to have to be more specific?” he says.
“With your sister. She wasn’t very happy to see me at The Rose when she was having lunch with your mother. You told me to meet you there.”
“Did I? I’ve been so busy,” he says, which I call bullshit on.
“You’re a fucking asshole,” I say, pushing him off the running track.
“Hey, come on. It worked, didn’t it? She’s talking to me again.”
“She thought I was a stalker,” I tell him. Sam thinks this is hilarious. “It’s not funny.” Sam slows his steps and I have to double back to where he is.
“You like her, don’t you?” he questions me.
“What? No, I don’t.” Sam’s eyes narrow on me. “We’re just friends.” He continues to stare at me. “Okay, fine, I think she’s hot,” I answer in a panic under his scrutiny.
“And that’s all it is, that you think she’s hot?” he keeps questioning me. “Did something happen between the two of you on the island?”
“No.” But I answer way too quickly, giving me away. “I could ask the same thing about you and that cute blonde.” I distract him by changing the subject.
“Who, Kimberly?”
“So, you think she’s cute?” I tease him.
“What? How did this get turned around on me?” he asks.
“You’re the one talking about Kimberly?”
Sam shakes his head. “Asshole. You’re changing the subject. Do you like my sister?”
“My ex fucked me over.”