Page 19

RIVER

“You’re early! Did hell freeze over?!” Maya clutches her chest dramatically as I walk into Making Waves. She glides toward me, grabbing the tray of coffees from my hand. “Oh, wait—never mind. You’re always early.”

“Ha. Funny.” If only I had something to throw at the smartass. “But I don’t see how my punctuality is a bad thing.”

“It’s a bad thing when you virtually live at work.” Caroline reaches over the counter, plucks a coffee from the tray, and takes a sip of the piping hot liquid, staring at me over the rim with accusing eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you not want help with inventory today?”

She grimaces, wiping the small trace of lip gloss from the lid of her cup. “I hate inventory.”

“That’s what I thought.” I set the bag of turnovers I’m holding on the counter, grabbing my own coffee. “I brought breakfast.”

“Bless you. I am starving . I left my protein bar at home by accident.”

Maya, who doesn’t typically eat sugar in the mornings, snatches the bag away, ripping it open and taking a huge bite from the first treat she can get her hands on. “Blech. Blueberry.” She shoves it back inside and reaches for something else.

“Maya!”

“What? You know I hate blueberry.” I can barely understand her as she talks with her mouth full, pulling another turnover from the bag. “Ha! I see the strawberry coming out of this. Dibs!”

She bites into it, moaning as she chews, and swallows the treat I wanted for myself.

Finding her manners again, she retrieves a napkin from the tray and wipes her mouth. “I know you’re a complete workaholic, but why are you here half an hour early?”

“I was up early. Couldn’t sleep.”

Maya frowns, hopping up onto the counter, sitting cross-legged. She knows I hate it, but I don’t say anything today. “Did you try your medication? I know you only like to take it for emergencies, but maybe this is one?”

“I’m not at that point yet.”

“How much sleep did you get last night?”

“About three hours.”

“Oh, you’re right then. Definitely not at the point of medication. How could you be? I mean, you got three whole hours of sleep. No need for more.” Caroline sips on her coffee like she’s that damn Kermit meme and it’s “none of her business.”

I glare at her. “You are so not helpful today.”

She laughs, not scared of me. “You know I’m just giving you crap—though I am worried.” Her lips pull down at the corners. “Do you need a break from the store?”

“No way! No. It’s nothing like that. My lack of sleep actually wasn’t my insomnia at all.”

Maya’s eyes widen. “Did you and Dean bang?”

“What? No!”

My heart races at the suggestion because all I can think about is the kiss .

I’m not sure who stopped kissing who first, but Dean didn’t say a word as he left the bathroom. He retreated to his room, and I climbed into the tub with my whiskey and didn’t come out for nearly two hours. It was a miracle I wasn’t hungover afterward.

I was too scared to come out and face him because kissing Dean Evans was the best kiss of my life.

I want to do it again. And again.

Immediately. Forever.

Her shoulders deflate. “Oh. Boo. What’s going on then?”

Shit. Think of something, River. Think of something pronto!

“My back, from skating last week. I’m still sore.”

She raises her brows. “Still?”

“Yes. I fell no less than ten times. Not like I’ll heal overnight.”

“Are you sure that’s it?”

No. “Of course.”

“I still can’t believe you went out on a date with Dean.”

I sigh at Caroline’s statement. “It wasn’t a date.”

“Oh, it totally was. A lame date, too. You didn’t even kiss.” I whip my head toward Maya, snatching the breakfast I bought from her hands. “Hey! Give that back!” She scrambles for the turnover.

“No. Turnovers are for people who aren’t assholes.”

She pouts. “You’re just annoyed I’m right.”

I laugh derisively. “Please. You couldn’t be more wrong.”

“So you did kiss?”

“No!”

That’s not a complete lie. We didn’t kiss during roller skating.

We waited an entire week, an exceptionally long week where we pretended nothing happened. Dancing around each other in the apartment even more than we already had been. Bickering and arguing and picking at each other even more than usual.

Until finally, Dean made his move.

My lips are still tingling.

“You two should kiss. Or something. You’ve been crushing on him long enough.”

“Caroline!”

Her baby blues widen as she feigns innocence though she’s far from it. “What? I didn’t realize it was a secret.”

“Wait—she confessed she has a crush to you?” Maya asks Caroline. “I tried getting her to and she wouldn’t budge.”

“No confession, but I mean, come on”—Caroline gestures toward me—“it’s obvious.”

“I didn’t confess because there is nothing to confess. I do not have a crush.”

“Sure you don’t.” Maya shrugs. “Just like I don’t have a crush on Henry Cavill and haven’t masturbated to him at least three times this week.”

Caroline gasps. “It’s Wednesday, you horndog!”

Maya winks at her, and they both bust out into giggles.

“You two are starting to wear me out just as much as Dean does.” I take another big gulp of my coffee, needing it to deal with them.

“For someone who doesn’t have a crush, you sure do talk about him a lot.”

Maya looks damn proud of herself for saying that, until she sees the look on my face.

“He hasn’t even been living there that long. What’s he up to now?” she asks. “Oh, man. You haven’t killed him already, have you? Is that what’s stressing you out? Body disposal? You know I listen to those true crime podcasts—I can help with that.”

“First of all, thank you. I’m happy to know if I were to ever pick up the pastime of murder, you’d have my back.

” She beams at me. “It’s not one specific thing with Dean.

It’s everything . He’s noisy. He eats my eggs and uses my creamer.

He smells like”— heaven —“the gym. And his biggest flaw of all? He exists.”

Caroline tucks her lips together, her eyes flitting to Maya, who is also fighting a smile. They’re looking at each other like they share a secret, and I want in on it.

“What?”

They don’t answer.

“Seriously? Why are you two smiling at each other like that?”

Maya hops off the counter. “Look, I’m only going to say this once, and I’m going to say it from a safe distance because you’re tired and more likely to throw something at me.

” She blows out a dramatic breath. “You sound like one of those kids on the playground who pulls pigtails or says the kid they’re crushing on is gross or has cooties.

You might keep refuting it, but you need to take a good hard look at why you’re pushing so hard for us to believe you. It’s okay to like Dean, River.”

“Ugh. I?—”

I snap my mouth shut as she lifts her perfectly shaped brows.

“We’re not going to judge you. In fact, it might be good for you. Maybe you can finally get laid.” She wags her brows. “Or, you know, focus on something other than work.”

I drag my gaze to Caroline, who’s nodding and staring at me just like Maya is.

They think I have a crush. Think I’m just burying it. Denying it.

They’re wrong.

I don’t like Dean.

His damn music and guitar playing keeps me up. He steals my pie. He has an emotional support turtle, for Pete’s sake.

Sure, he’s smart and can be funny when he’s not busy driving me insane. And, yeah, he has a stable career, and let’s not forget how undeniably attractive he is…or that these are all things I’m looking for in a relationship.

But he’s Dean .

We have nothing in common other than our love of pie.

We’d never work.

Plus, I hate him.

I can’t like him…right?

It doesn’t matter that I like the way his eyes caress me. Doesn’t matter that when he touches me, even just a whisper of contact, I feel it everywhere.

And it really doesn’t matter that when he kissed me, it felt like everything I’ve been missing was suddenly found.

He’s Dean . I can’t be putting silly thoughts like that in my head about my new roommate, especially when it’s him.

Pushing my chest out, I raise my chin.

“You’re wrong. I do not have a crush.”

The words sound weak even to my own ears.

Oh hell.

They could have a point after all.

I have a crush on Dean.

I’m not good at not working. It’s just not in my blood.

But tonight, I didn’t bat a lash when the clock struck seven and I clicked the sign to Closed .

For the first time in I don’t even know how long, I’m riding the elevator up to my floor at seven thirty.

I don’t want to be at work. I want to be at home.

I’m trying not to analyze what that could possibly mean as I step out of the car.

I pause when I see Dean standing in the hallway.

The last time he was standing out here, it ended in a kiss.

Is it wrong to hope that will happen again?

We haven’t talked about the kiss from three nights ago. We’re not actively avoiding one another, but neither of us has made a move to talk…or kiss again. We’re just co-existing. It feels like some sort of barrier has been broken down, but we’re both too afraid to truly cross it.

Slowly, I make my way toward him.

He’s leaning against the wall opposite his apartment, arms crossed over his chest, not paying any attention to me.

He’s ditched his tie for summer school, but I’m surprised to see he’s still wearing his work attire since I finally had a key made for him yesterday. Surely he hasn’t lost it already.

Then again, if he had it, I’d miss this view.

He looks good…too damn good.

The evening sunlight is filtering in at the end of the hall, and it’s casting a soft glow that makes it look like he’s in one of those cologne commercials that are overly sexual and make zero sense.

Gorgeous. Poster-worthy.

I take another step toward him—then freeze when I hear it.

A giggle.

It’s coming from inside his apartment.

A girl with dark hair bends under the caution tape that’s been put up.

Dean smiles at her. “Enjoy yourself?”

“Immensely.”

He shakes his head. “You’re never going to stop teasing me, are you?”

“Not a chance.”

“Shit.”