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“Is that all? Looks more like a bad month.”
“Don’t make me deck you.” She balled up her fist and held it in front of him in a menacing but playful way. “You know I will.”
“Oh, I know.” He rubbed at his cheek. “Can still feel the pain from that day in eighth grade.”
“You deserved it.” The dumbass pretended he was drowning and nearly gave not only her but Harper and Isla heart attacks. He found it hilarious, and Olivia needed to show him how funny they thought his little prank was.
“Does Harper know you’re home?” Harper was one of Olivia’s best friends, and she liked to joke with Milo that he could only borrow Harper, but the truth was no matter how close Olivia and Harper were and they were practically sisters, Harper and Milo shared a special bond. It was why they also shared a house, though, Harper swore she never slept with Milo. “I thought she said you decided to stay in the city this weekend.”
“Change of plans,” Olivia said.
Shane cleared his throat, and Olivia was grateful for the interruption. Even though she’d unloaded on Shane, she didn’t want to spill her guts to Milo yet. She wanted to hold onto the last bit of dignity she had for a little while longer.
Milo nodded toward Shane. “Can I help you?”
“Oh!” Olivia exclaimed. “This is Shane. He’s in town for a visit and needs a lift, too. I said he could share the car with me.”
“You only put down one passenger. Not two.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Consider it a friend helping out a friend.”
“Is he a friend I don’t know about?”
“I’m talking about you helping me… never mind. You’re giving him a ride.”
“I don’t want to impose,” Shane said. “I’m sure I can find a way.”
Olivia held her hand up and flashed Milo the evil eye. “Nonsense. Milo is just being difficult.” The least she could do was get the guy a ride after that disastrous train ride.
Milo ignored Olivia and swung his gaze to Shane. “Who are you visiting?”
Olivia shoved Milo in the chest, pushing him toward the back of the car. “Don’t be so nosy.”
“But—”
Olivia cut Milo another look, this time with more finality behind it, and he sighed before walking toward the trunk. The occasional limp he had after being hit by a drunk driver the summer of senior year, destroying his baseball career, was barely noticeable except to those who knew him. “Fine, let’s go. But I’ll have to know where he’s going if he ever wants to get there.”
Olivia gave Shane a smile, and he thanked her with a nod. Shane had made it perfectly clear on the train that he didn’t want to know anything about his family before he met them. She wasn’t about to give that opening to Milo who would undoubtedly share every opinion he ever had.
Milo popped the trunk, and Shane deposited the bags. Olivia took the backseat, since she was used to being chauffeured around, but also she figured Shane as the newbie to the area, could take the front seat. Plus, after putting up with her on the train, it was the least she could do.
Shane stood outside the car for a moment, and Milo leaned over from the driver seat and pushed open the passenger door. “You can sit up here, my man.”
Shane climbed into the car, and Olivia slid over to his side. She settled behind him and leaned toward the gap between seat and door. “I’ll be your tour guide,” she said. She knew every nook and cranny in this town. “I know all the best places to get coffee, the best place to get a bacon, egg and cheese, and the best place to grab a cocktail.”
“That’s because there’s only one of each,” Milo said.
She caught Milo’s dark brown eyes in the rearview mirror. “Nobody asked you.”
“It’s kind of hard to take you serious when you look like Hal when he’s dressed up for a gig.” Hal was a town celebrity—an Alice Cooper impersonator who performed at any local business that would let him.
Olivia shifted so she could see herself in the rearview mirror and gasped at the fact she allowed herself to look like that in public. Even more surprised Shane didn’t hightail it away from her the minute he saw her face.
“You thought I was lying?” Milo joked.
Olivia tapped Shane on the shoulder. “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
He turned around in his seat to face her, but because she was already leaning close, they were a few breaths away from each other. His eyes met hers, and while she thought they were brown, up close and really looking at him, she could see they were also green.
