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She picks up on my third try.

“What’s wrong, Eli?”

A second wave of relief floods through me at the sound of her voice. Then my nerves coil back up tight. “What are you doing right now?”

“I was trying to have a shower.”

For a moment, my idiot brain pictures Reese naked, dripping with water, and my mouth goes dry.

“Eli, what is it? Are you okay?” Her words knock me out of my very ill-timed fantasy.

But I’m also touched that she sounds genuinely concerned for me.

“No, I’m not okay.” I’m being honest. But I clarify so she doesn’t think I’m mortally wounded or something. “Listen, I know we haven’t presented ourselves as a couple to my family, but I’m at O’Malley’s right now with my siblings and Neil and Kelly just came in and stupid Jude invited them to sit with us. For all I know, Cass is telling my ex-wife they just found out about our relationship—our fake relationship—and Kelly’s going to know I’ve been bullshitting her and that I’m just as fucking pathetic around her as I always am—”

“Eli, calm down. Take a breath.”

Once again, her voice is kind. Well it won’t be when she hears what I have to say next. “Reese, I told them you were on your way down here. So I was hoping you might, you know, be willing to be on your way down here.”

There’s a long pause, before Reese says, “I’m not even dressed, Eli.”

Goddammit.

Pictures of Reese naked flash before my eyes again, and it’s a problem, because I know what she looks like naked. I fucking remember it, and it’s glorious.

I scrub the images from my brain.Not now.

“Drinks are on me. Dinner. Have you eaten? They have a decent burger—”

“Eli…I…can’t you just tell them I’m busy?”

I hang my head, pressing my thumb to my temple. “Yeah.” This was stupid. It’s perfectly normal for a couple to spend a night apart.

I turn around and look back through the plate glass windows into the bar. Jude’s gesticulating exuberantly, like he does. Kelly’s laughing, looking pretty and happy.

“Who looks happy?”

My stomach plunges.The fuck?“I said that out loud?”

I want to smack my head on the brick wall next to the window. What the fuck is wrong with me?

“Hang on, Eli, I’m getting a text.”

I spin around and lean against the strip of brick next to the window. It would be so easy—just tip my head forward and bonk it backward. Knock some sense in me.

But then to my utter and complete surprise, Reese comes back on the line, and says, “I’m sure I’m going to regret this, but I’ll be there in ten.”

CHAPTER10

Reese

TRACK:Sam & Dave, “Hold On, I’m Comin’”

My hair’s still wet from the shower when I round the corner and O’Malley’s comes into view.

I can’t believe I’m here.

I text Nora back to say the same thing.