Page 17

Chapter fifteen

Naomi

Robbie’s hand radiates warmth as he presses it against my lower back, gently leading me to where our friends are taking up the corner table in the back of the dimly lit bar.

“Are you ready?” He winks at me, removing his hand from my back only to interlace his fingers immediately with mine, as if he somehow knows that physical touch is as much a necessity for my nerves as it is for show.

I nod back, gripping tightly.

“Well, well,” Toby shouts over his beer when he spots us coming, “if it isn’t the lovebirds! You’re just in time.”

I can feel the warmth of a blush as it spreads across my cheeks, feeling uncomfortable with the attention. I mentally brace myself for the interrogation we’re about to get.

“Hey, guys.” I wave timidly, trying my best to act casually.

“Thanks for finally making an appearance. Are you done ditching us now? ‘Cause I’m not going to lie—it’s rude,” Charlie says as I slide into a chair across from him. Robbie eases into the one on my left while Gabby, Rachel, Owen, and Luke take up the rest of the table.

“Don’t mind him,” Luke says, passing us two bingo cards and daubers. “He’s just upset that we had to hear about you two from Opal and not directly from your mouths.”

“What gives? I thought we were besties?” Charlie chimes in, pouting.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Robbie says calmly. “Like I told you over FaceTime, it happened so gradually that we wanted to wait to say something until we knew for sure what this was before announcing it to the group.”

He says it so nonchalantly. I marvel at how easy this facade is for him. Meanwhile, I’m sweating bullets over here.

“And what is it exactly?” Rachel asks, a quizzical look in her eyes.

Robbie and I lock eyes, and I can’t help but mirror the smile he flashes. “We’re official. She’s my girlfriend.”

He emphasizes the moment by bringing his hand to my thigh, resting it a little higher than a friend would. If my cheeks weren’t blushing before, they certainly are now. The heat of his hand burns through my jeans, sending a warmth straight up my spine.

“Right on,” says Luke with a mischievous smile, clearly nothing but happy for us. Gabby, on the other hand, practically drills holes into me, so I dip my head, actively avoiding her stare.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Bar Bingo,” Trey, the announcer, says into the microphone from where his table is set up next to the stage.

I find my next breath to be easier to take, relieved that the attention can finally shift off Robbie and me.

Maybe it’s naive of me to hope that’ll be enough to appease our friends.

“I’m not buying it,” Gabby cuts in sharply, and my gaze snaps back up to meet hers.

Her eyes flit between Robbie and me, intensely scrutinizing the both of us while Trey drones on in the background.

“You two have been friends forever. You can’t tell me it just all of a sudden turned into something more. ”

Robbie shifts his body ever-so-slightly toward me, his presence feeling solid, giving me a strength that I only feel when he’s nearby. I capitalize on that strength to force an assertive tone for once. “Why not?”

“It just…doesn’t usually happen like that,” she retorts.

“Are you trying to say that friends don’t ever turn into lovers?” Charlie asks with a laugh. “Especially in a town as small as ours? Isn’t that what all those romance novels you love are filled with?”

He turns to us. “I think it’s sweet. I’m happy for you guys.”

“Thank you, Charlie.” I appreciate his support and silently hope it’s enough to quiet Gabby.

“Nope. I’m not buying it.” Her sharp words make my stomach twist. Ugh. What else could she possibly be looking for?

“The first number is…C23,” Trey calls from behind me.

“What do you mean?” I attempt a lighthearted giggle, avoiding Gabby’s scrutinizing stare by scanning my bingo card.

“I need proof of relationship,” she demands in her signature biting tone that has just enough sweetness to it that no one ever calls her out for it.

“What exactly does ‘proof of relationship’ mean?” Uneasiness swirls through me. The man’s hand is on my thigh. What more could she want?

“A kiss.” The dare is clear in her mischievous stare. A challenge. “Plant one on him, and I’ll leave it alone.”

“Come on, Gabby.” I roll my eyes, smirking to cover up the rush of anxiety that just hit. There’s no way that’s happening right now. I look at Robbie, expecting to find him ready to divert and laugh it off with me, but instead, I find him stoic and void of any humor.

He swallows slowly as his eyes smolder intensely into mine. I freeze in place, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. What in the world is going through his mind? And why isn’t he jumping to help me deflect?

“Aw, do it! Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.”

To my horror, Toby starts chanting, drawing the attention of half the bar to our table.

The hairs on my arms rise with a wave of goosebumps and the nerves in my stomach kick in tenfold.

I was hoping a potential kissing scenario wouldn’t come up until much later on, if at all…

and I certainly didn’t expect it to come completely out of nowhere like this.

I bite my lip, keeping my focus on Robbie, who doesn’t seem at all concerned about anyone else.

Only me. My stomach starts to do this weird flippy thing when he tilts forward, inching ever so slowly toward me.

He’s not really going to kiss me, is he?

My eyes stay glued to his, waiting with bated breath to see how on earth he’s going to get us out of this one.

“Excitement or dread?” he murmurs, just loud enough for me alone to hear.

His question sends a light wave of chills down my arms. I take a deep, steadying breath and focus enough to assess my emotions.

If I’m completely honest with myself, the idea of kissing Robbie isn’t entirely unappealing.

In fact, maybe I am a little curious about what it would be like.

With this newfound tension between us…I can’t say I’m not somewhat intrigued.

I summon any morsel of bravery I can muster and give him the tiniest dip of my head as permission.

Then I hold my breath shakily in my chest as he moves even closer.

The warmth of his hand touches me first as it comes to cradle the back of my neck just moments before he presses his lips to mine.

Our mouths fit together with an easiness, as if this is something we’ve been doing our entire lives.

Nothing holds me back as my entire body relaxes and I press against him.

Instantly, I’m transported to another world.

One where Robbie isn’t Robbie, but my doting fiancé.

We’re on a cross-country pre-wedding road trip, making a point to stop at a different dive bar every night to test out their version of steak nachos and whatever local beer they have on tap.

He’s passionately kissing me after one of his many declarations of love and promises of a lifetime of adventure together.

Robbie pulls away first, ripping me abruptly from my daydream.

As my eyes flutter back open, the heat I find in his eyes causes a rush to swoop low in my belly.

He backs away ever so slowly, running his hand lightly down my arm as he does.

I’m faintly aware of some whistles coming from the nearby tables, but they’re blurry and out of focus.

My body takes longer to catch up than my brain does as I blink wordlessly at him.

I feel a little like a giddy schoolgirl as my heart races wildly.

Surely from the daydream. That has to be it.

With a clearing of my throat, I turn back to our friends, who are all staring at us.

My cheeks heat when I notice Gabby has a dumbstruck look on her face, her mouth slightly ajar.

“Okay,” she finally says with a nod, shrugging in acceptance. “My bad.”

“Are we good?” Robbie asks the table, somehow seeming completely unfazed while I’m still struggling to breathe normally over here. “Can we move on now?”

“Get the next round of beers, and I’ll never bring it up again.” Toby points at him jovially.

Robbie throws a peanut shell at him. “Don’t act like you ever gave a rip.”

“G-23,” Trey calls out.

I press my dauber in the square, feeling much lighter now that the attention can move away from us. What doesn’t go away is how hyperaware I am of his proximity in the chair next to mine and the replay of our kiss that’s cycling through my mind on a recurring loop.

As if he’s thinking the same, he flicks his eyes to me, a gentle probing in them.

His brow quirks up, a way of silently asking if I’m okay.

I push my lips together in a simple smile for a response, then focus down on my bingo card while he brings his hand back to my thigh.

I don’t mind the touch one bit. In fact, it further fuels the anticipation that lingers from his kiss, and I admit that I might be relishing the way it makes me feel.

“B-19,” Trey calls.

I can feel Gabby’s eyes on Robbie and me for the entire round, a hint of suspicion still left in her stare, until finally Bar Bingo ends, and the group starts lazily chatting while the music resumes from the speakers.

“When did this start again?” Gabby asks, shouting over the table.

“Let it go, Gabby,” Robbie retorts. I act on a sudden surge of confidence, wanting nothing more than to stop Gabby in her tracks, by wrapping my arm around his forearm and leaning into his ear.

“Come sing with me.” I jump up, pulling him out of his chair to drag him to the karaoke stage.

He doesn’t skip a beat, willingly matching my energy with a slick smile as we make our song selection and climb onstage.

Being in front of the whole bar is truly the last thing I wanted out of tonight, especially to sing, but I’m finding I don’t mind as much in this moment.

As always, I’m comfortable as long as Robbie is with me.

As we sing, sharing a microphone and dancing in step with each other, my mind keeps slipping back to the feeling of his lips as they were pressed against mine.

Not to mention the flash of a burning heat in his gaze that followed.

One that was bold and piercing. And maybe my mind is wandering a bit too much…

but I’m left wondering why the whole thing felt monumental in a way.

Why it felt like some sort of branding on my soul.