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“I’ll take a beer.”
She expertly popped the top, the metal clattering hard on the countertop. “You want a glass?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s fine.”
Handing me the bottle, I took a long swig, cleansing my dry throat. I wanted to say something, dig deeper into the situation, but she seemed so withdrawn that I hesitated. You don’t live thirty-some years with a bunch of women and come out a total dunce.
“Thanks for the pizza. It’s good.” I took another bite, only mildly hungry, but desperately wanting to make some kind of conversation to fill the yawning silence now wedged between us.
“Eh, it’s okay. But we don’t have that many options.” She shrugged, her T-shirt slipping off her shoulder, revealing a tiny sliver of smooth skin. “I’m sure you have better choices in California.”
“Maybe. But the company isn’t as great there.”
Macy blushed and my heart flip-flopped in my chest, a tiny bit of the chasm between us closing.
“So Liam—tell me more about L.A. You said you’re between projects. What’s next? Another app? Something else?”
I didn’t much want to talk about work right now, with all the other more important issues swirling around, but if that’s where she wanted to go...
“I actually talked to my friend Benji earlier today and he’s wanting me to do some website development for the winery. They’re kicking around an app too, so that could be a nice little project for me. I’d get to work with him, plus see more of Sonoma. I haven’t spent that much time up there, so it could be fun.”
“That sounds cool,” Macy said, taking another bite of pizza.
“Yeah, it would be. I can do some of the stuff remotely, so I can stay here for a bit while Pops recovers.”
Macy nodded, her face flushing. She seemed pleased with that response, although she didn’t say anything.
An uncharacteristic rush of bravery coursed through me. “I know it’s still early days, Macy, but I like you. Like—really like you.” I locked eyes with her, the gold flecks in her eyes shining under the overhead light. “And I’m not sure what’s going through your head right now—or what happened back in the bedroom—but I want you to know you can talk to me. I’m a pretty good listener.” I paused and she took a shuddery breath, her eyes glistening with tears again.
Fuck. I didn’t want her to cry.
I reached across the table for her hand, lacing my fingers in hers. “What’s going on?”
She shook her head. “I don’t really know. Or I’d tell you, honest. It’s just—” She looked away, staring hard at the wall. “Imighthave some trust issues.” She turned back and faced me. “We talked about my mom leaving. But I didn’t mention my dad. Mainly because I never even knew him. I only have one picture of him. He flew the coop before I was even born; Everly’s my half-sister. And her dad only stuck around for a few years.”
“I’m really sorry, Macy.” I squeezed her hand, wishing I could erase the haunted look of pain in her eyes. “It sounds lame, but you know that had nothing to do with you, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Intellectually, I do. But I guess it may have affected me a little more than I thought.”
A hard lump formed in my throat, stopping me from saying more. I understood loss, especially of a parent. But the kind of loss she’d endured? No kid should experience those feelings.
“Anyway,” she said, swiping at the lone tear that escaped down her cheek. “What movie do you want to watch?”
“Anything, as long as it’s not sad.”
“Perfect.” She stood, wiping her hands on her napkin and picking up my empty bottle. “You want another?”
“Sure. I don’t have to drive.”
“Good point.”
Together we cleared the table and refreshed our drinks, then settled onto the couch. I took a chance, stretching my arm out behind her and she didn’t scoot away. Progress.
We decided on a classic,How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Macy leaned over, clicking the light off. She reclined back against the couch and I tried to concentrate on the movie, but all I could think about was the proximity of her body to mine, the soft whisper of hair brushing against my arm, the faint clean scent clinging to her T-shirt. Images flashed on the screen, but my eyes kept wandering back to Macy, the soft smile dancing across her lips at the funny bits, her entire face relaxed and calm. Her breathing slowed, her chest rising and falling, and she inched closer to me on the couch, tucking her legs up under her, our hips touching.
I took another chance, dropping my fingertips lightly onto her shoulder. She didn’t recoil; rather, she relaxed into me, resting more of her body on mine. My heart raced at the contact—odd, considering we’d already slept together twice. But sitting here on the couch in the dark, watching a movie next to her, somehow felt more intimate.
Because this is real life. This could be your life with Macy.
