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Indy’s smile is radiant and warm as she converses with Caroline, and she doesn’t look at me or break away from the conversation she’s having, but she pulls my hand away from my collar and laces her fingers through mine, holding my hand.
“Did you go to the game last night?” Caroline asks.
“I couldn’t.” Indy crosses her other arm over her body, holding my single hand with both of hers. She’s effortless and luminous and so fucking good at this. “I was traveling for work, but I watched it on TV. He’s amazing.”
Wait. She watched from her hotel room?
“Do you enjoy your job? Flying the Raptors around. That sounds fun.”
“I love my job, but when I’m on the road, I miss home.” She smiles up at me and it’s soft and loving, but I know it’s not real. I know this is all pretend, but fuck, I’d be lying if I said that didn’t do something to my insides.
“Any chance you’re in town next Thursday?” Caroline asks the woman at my side. “We were supposed to have dinner with Ethan and Annie this weekend, but last minute, Ron was invited to speak at his alma mater. We’re headed to Hanover tomorrow, but if you two can join us next week, that’d be wonderful.”
“Hanover? As in Hanover, New Hampshire?” Indy asks, turning towards Ron. “Did you attend Dartmouth?”
His brows lift. “I did.”
She nods approvingly. “You seem like an Ivy League man.”
There’s a faint, almost indistinguishable tug at Ron’s lips, but for a man like him, it’s equivalent to a full-tooth grin.
Whatever Indy wants, she can have. I can’t even begin to list all the ways I owe her for tonight.
“That was my dream school.”
My neck almost snaps with how quickly I turn to look at her before remembering I’m her live-in boyfriend who should know these things.
“It’s a tough school to get into. Low acceptance rate.”
“Yes, that’s true.” Indy’s radiant smile falters, but she recovers so quickly I may have imagined it.
At this moment, I’m realizing how much I don’t know about this woman and how much I wish I did.
She turns back to Caroline. “I’m sorry. Huge conversation shift. I am in town next Thursday and we would absolutely love to have dinner with you two.”
There are no scowls or hard lines on Ron’s face besides the ones permanently etched in his skin from a constant state of disappointment. But this is the softest I’ve seen him look and it’s because of Indy.
Though, she is being more formal than the chaotic girl I found crying in my apartment, and I hope she knows she doesn’t have to fake more than our relationship here.
“She’s lovely, Shay,” Ron says to me and it’s the first time I’m involved in the conversation.
Awareness floods me. Indy has been carrying this with grace and confidence, meanwhile I’ve been standing as stiff as a board, my fingers splayed wide with tension while Indy’s are effortlessly curled around mine.
“How did you two meet?” he continues.
Shit. We talked about this. We knew this would come up, but we never decided.
“We—” Indy and I begin at the same time, but I pause and let her continue because I trust her enough to get us through this.
“We were introduced through his sister.”
Perfect. Simple. To the point.
She looks up at me and I can only hope she can read my appreciation.
“Oh, I see that look,” Caroline mews. “You two lovebirds. There’s more to the story, isn’t there?”
She has no fucking clue.
