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RUMI

I hope Ava is too busy with her conversation with Drew right now to hear anything I am saying. I just know if she could hear me, she’d be thinking of all the different ways to tell me how I have no idea what I’m doing talking to this man right now.

When I first saw Jack this morning after he ran into Hey Honey’s, there was an instant attraction for me.

How couldn’t there be?

I think anyone would see this man and agree.

And he looked good this morning—a little disheveled, but good .

Tonight? His dark hair, striking eyes, biceps on display in his fitted T-shirt that I literally want to sink my teeth into—as if I have ever had that urge before—are sitting in front of me, making my head spin and words jumble in my brain.

It’s been years since I have had any sort of attraction to a man like this, and I can’t even compare the feelings I had when I first saw Trevor to what is circulating through my body now.

And when Evee grabbed his hand, I wanted to climb him like a tree and cry into his chest at the same time like a complete lunatic.

He’s still a walking contrast of a man, and it’s in more ways than one. I noticed it tonight the same way I did this morning. With his large stature and gruff demeanor, the softness of his eyes catches me by surprise whenever I look at him.

And just like when I saw the red creep up his neck when he realized he was staring at me. The same happened when he noticed his rambling; he thought I was offended about him looking for Evee’s dad. He has a boyish charm that I wouldn’t expect from someone who looks like him.

He’s dangerous, and not in the way I’m used to.

“I’d argue you’re doing a pretty damn good job right now,” he says, and I wish I could control the blood from my body rising to my cheeks at the smirk on his lips.

It’s ironic that I came here ready to make a friend, and I think I was doing an okay job with Drew.

I know she was doing most of the talking because she could tell I was nervous, but her kind demeanor was reassuring.

I still couldn’t completely wash away the discomfort I was feeling with the attention; I caught myself worried that I’d say something that would offend her, or make her upset.

It’s a habit I just can’t seem to break.

But with Jack, his attention on me is intense—how he looks at me like I’m the only person in the world. And tonight? I find myself liking it, almost basking in it.

It’s comfortable and warm, like sitting out by a campfire.

“I’m glad you think so,” I reply. “Because I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Nobody knows what they’re doing. Ever. We’re all just making it up as we go.” He rests his elbow on the bar, leaning his head into his fist, looking at me as if he recognizes something on my face, as if this isn’t the first time we’ve talked like this.

“That’s what it feels like with this one,” I say, glancing down at Evee. “I had no idea what I was doing when she was born, but we figured it out along the way. Still are.”

“We?” Jack asks.

“Me and Ava,” I clarify. “She’s basically been Evee’s other parent since she was born.”

Jack nods, and I think he wants me to keep going, but a little voice in my head tells me to be careful not to say too much.

“The night she was born, I was in an accident. I don’t remember anything after calling 911 and passing out. I woke up in the hospital the next morning, and they had performed an emergency C-section.”

Jack doesn’t say anything at first, and I can’t help but look away from the intensity I see in his eyes. It’s the same way he was looking at me earlier, like he’s trying to find something by looking directly into my soul.

I feel the need to fill the silence between us.

“Luckily, Evee was okay. Perfect, even.” I look down at my daughter, her head is resting against my arms as I hold her against me.

She looks so peaceful, even amongst the chatter and music playing at the bar, with her plump cheeks, gently parted lips, and long lashes—the ones that frame the eyes she got from me.

“She really is cute.”

“She’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” I say, but it comes off as if I’m saying it to her rather than to Jack.

“Rumi,” I hear, and I look back up to find those jade eyes, the green looking more emerald in the dim light of the bar.

He looks like he’s about to say something, and then there’s a slight shake of his head, blinking a few times and throwing on a small smile, one that doesn’t feel as genuine as the others he’s shown me tonight.

“Since we’re both looking for some new friends, what do you say about being mine? ”

My lips part as my eyebrows raise. I know he’s talking about being his friend, but there’s something about hearing him ask me to be his that makes my skin tingle.

I quickly school my features to hide my surprise as I watch the column of Jack’s throat peeking out from his T-shirt turn a dark shade of red, his face a clear indicator that he did not mean to say the words out loud, or at least in the way that he did.

“Yes,” I say before I can think too much about it. I instantly feel responsible for his embarrassment and rush to make it go away. It’s one of my worst habits, taking on the emotions of others, as if I have any control over them.

His mouth opens to say something, but I don’t get to hear what it is.

“Ready to go?” Ava asks, placing a hand on my shoulder; I didn’t even realize she walked over to us.

I turn to see everyone pushing in their chairs, gathering their things to leave.

“Here, let me take her,” Ava says. “That way, you can say goodbye.” She gives me a wink as she pulls Evee from my lap.

She turns to Jack. “Good to see you again,” she says to him, before turning and heading toward the door.

I look at Jack as I stand from my chair, and he does the same.

When we were sitting at the bar, we faced each other, just a few inches between our knees, but Evee was also between us.

All of a sudden, I feel like I’m on complete display without my daughter in my arms. I didn’t realize how much I relied on her comforting weight against me until it was gone.

Feeling exposed, I cross my arms across my chest, and Jack puts his hands in his pockets. There’s an awkwardness between us that wasn’t there before, as if neither of us knows where to go from here.

“Well, I, uh,” he starts, rocking up on his toes and back on his heels, at the same time I say, “That was—” not knowing how the hell I was going to finish that sentence.

We both let out a little laugh, some of the awkwardness lifting from the air around us. He tries again. “I better go grab my sister and say goodbye to Luke.” But he doesn’t move.

“Yeah, same,” I say before quickly adding, “I mean, say goodbye to everyone. Not grab your sister. That would be weird considering I don’t know her.”

He gives me a smile and seeing it is the only thing that stops me from smacking my hand against my forehead.

“I’ll see you around, Rumi,” he says, giving me a small nod, before heading past me to the group of everyone saying goodbye.

I turn and watch him put an arm around his sister’s shoulder, and she turns around to see where he came from, finding me staring at them like an idiot.

Before I can look away, she gives me a small smile and a nod, the same way her brother just did, and elbows him in the side.

I can’t help but smile at the antics, watching the two, and then how everyone around them laughs before exchanging hugs and plans for the coming days.

And as I say goodbye to everyone, following Ava and Evee through the front door of Lenny’s, I can’t help but feel like I accomplished what I set out to do tonight.

I made a friend.