Page 45 of Devious Love

“Two minutes.” I scoot closer to Chiara. “I need to use the restroom.”

Chiara slides out of the booth, and I follow. On my way to the back of the diner, I pass the booth where Dominic still sits with Miles and Remi. They’re talking about something, three beer bottles on the table along with three mostly empty plates. Dom sits across from Miles with Remi by his side, her hand wrapped around the back of his neck.

My throat tightens at the sight, but I shake my head, forcing myself to focus on where I’m going. It’s none of my business what he does or who he does it with.

But as I wash my hands, a burning sensation in my chest makes me flatten my lips. Since I got back, the dynamic between Dominic and me has shifted. Maybe it’s just that we’re different people. We’ve both grown up since we last spent any time together, but the way he looks at me? The way he always shiftscloser when we’re in the same room? I’m not imagining it. Where he used to treat me like an annoyance, he now talks to me in a way that’s playful. But at the same time, there’s a rough edge to everything he says, like he’s working to maintain distance. He's always close but never close enough, like there’s an invisible line between us, one he won’t cross.

I don’t get him. And even more, I don’t get why he keeps this girl around if they aren’t together.

The door opens as I’m drying my hands, and Remi walks in. Why am I not surprised?

“Hi,” she coos, closing the door behind her. “I thought we could’ve a little chat.”

“Oh?” I leave it at that. If I could brush her off, I would, but she’s blocking my exit.

“It won’t take long.” She steps closer and holds out her hand. “The keys. I need them.”

I arch an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. “What keys?”

“Don’t play dumb. Give me the keys you took the day I let you into the house.”

“Oh,thekeys. Now I get it.” I smile, though I can’t imagine it looks friendly. “There must be some misunderstanding. I tried to give them to Dom so he could give them back to you, but he told me to keep them.”

She blanches. “Why would he say that?”

Satisfaction coursing through me, I shrug. “He said you don’t need them.”

She clenches her jaw, her expression pinched. “Or you’re lying and you never told him you have them.”

I sigh and drop my arms. “You know what? I don’t want to be involved in this. If you want a set of keys, then ask Dom.” I step into her. “Now please, move aside. I need to get back to my friends.”

Expression hard, she studies me in silence. Eventually, though, she takes a step to her right, leaving me a sliver of space to maneuver around her. Fuck that. I push past her, bumping her with my shoulder, and open the door. At the threshold, I turn back to get a better look at her.

“And Remi?”

Her eyes flare to mine.

“I have zero interest in being involved in your drama, so leave me out of it.” I take a step out of the bathroom. “If you have a problem, take it up with Dominic.”

I turn on my heel and stride away before she can get another word in. This time, when I pass Dominic’s booth, I hold my head high and don’t look at him. Remi’s behavior seriously weirds me out, and I have better things to do than get stuck in the middle of their mess.

Momand I spent the afternoon cooking, and now, as the room fills with laughter, conversation, and the scent of roasted chicken and herbs, I sit back, content.

“So, you spent the day finding your way around Monterey.” Allan’s hazel eyes—the same color as his son’s—dart from Jeff to Tessa, who fit in with my family as if they’ve always been here. “What do you think?”

“Compared to Phoenix, it seems so small,” Jeff chuckles. “But it has its perks. The people are friendlier, and we’ve already found great places to eat. I really like it.”

“I lived in Flagstaff until I was sixteen and my dad got a job in Phoenix.” Tessa smiles. “I’ve always liked small cities better. Monterey feels like a breath of fresh air.”

With a smile, Mom picks up her wineglass. “I love that all three of you want to go into IT. No wonder you get along so well. You must have a lot in common.”

“The IT industry is growing, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.” Matt scoops up a forkful of rice and stuffs it into his mouth.

“And yet, you chose law,” I tease him.

“Every start-up needs an intellectual property patent,” he says, his mouth still full, “meaning they need lawyers. And since the industry is constantly changing, IT companies are constantly turning to lawyers for how to legally collect and store data. Do I need to go on?”

Before I can respond, a familiar voice chimes in. “No, I think you made your point very clear.”