Page 64

"Looks like it is." I chuckled and shook my head at her. "You got plans after our adventures in manual labor land?"

"No. I'm just sad Nora's moving further away again," Maya said, pouting at her cousin. "Except not really because she'll just stay at my place all the time."

"Again, you're not wrong." Nora laughed and leaned her elbow on the back of the sofa while she faced us. "Thank you both for helping. Stinks that Anita missed the fun."

"She'll be grateful she missed it. Don't worry." Maya grinned and patted her stomach. "I ate like four pieces of pizza and I'm hungry again."

"There's more in the kitchen. Go get it." Nora nodded behind us.

"Hmm." Maya appeared to contemplate it before hopping up from her seat. "Sold."

Nora smiled while watching her mouthy ward fill a second plate up with food. She returned to the living room and flicked the television on after snatching the remote from the table.

"We're very boring, apparently," I said, grinning at the amusing kid.

"Apparently." Nora laughed, shaking her head at the oblivious Maya. Her attention faded to the television, too, when Maya paused on a late-night news broadcast.

I couldn't care less about the news. My attention remained on Nora. Eventually, she sensed it and looked at me, her eyes narrowed playfully.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothin'." I smirked and she swatted my hand.

Maya turned suddenly, her mouth full of pizza. "So, are you two dating or what?" She waved the half-eaten slice in our direction. "Because I'm not sure what's happening over there."

"No." We both answered way too quickly.

"We're not dating," Nora said, her tone soft with her gentle smile. "Caroline's my friend."

"Right." Maya looked between the two of us while tearing off a huge bite of crust. "What about you?" She pointed the food at me that time. "Is she your friend, too?"

"Yeah." I laughed at her. "Were you this funny the last time I saw you?"

"Probably not." She gulped down her bite. "You two are extremely awkward."

"We are not, Maya." Nora bristled, a small huff leaving her.

"I mean, you are though." She waved between us. "You're sitting stupidly far away from each other, and whenever the other one is looking the other way, you stare at each other. Awkward."

"Maya—"

"Is this what it's like being old?" Maya's gaze fell on me. "Awkward?"

"I'll tell you what's awkward, you little shit." I laughed, because what the fuck else was I supposed to do. "That pizza crust will be sticking out of your nose when I shove it up there if you don't knock it off."

"I'm just saying!" Maya's hands flew into the air, her plate in her lap. "Awkward. Thank you for coming to my TED talk." Her attention shifted back to the television when a reporter talked about a suspected arson downtown.

I smirked and looked back at Nora. Her face turned three shades of red, and she clearly didn't find Maya as amusing as I did. She looked down to the beer in her lap, then toyed with the bracelet still encircling her wrist. The sadness in her downcast gaze dimmed the energy of our evening.

Maya's phone buzzed on the table and she snapped it up as if the notification brought with it a self-destruction warning. She tapped the screen, a smirk making it to her face.

"Who's that?" asked Nora.

"Bri said people are turnt up at Wildrose."

"What's that mean?" I asked.

Maya gawked at me, her mouth agape for a second. "Like turned up. Having fun? You're too old for fun so I don't expect you to know what I mean."