Page 29 of The Killer Card

He stands, putting his chair back. “I don’t think it’s news that I don’t really give two shits about Naomi or who she fucks.”

“I never said we—”

“Tío,” he rolls his eyes. “Come on. You’re telling me you’re this cracked over a woman you didn’t sleep with? I know your tragic, but even for you that’s dramatic.”

Sucking at my teeth, I shake my head, pushing past him to my bag on the couch. “I’m going for a run.” I grab some workout clothes I packed. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Right before your girlfriend’s room on the left.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” I snap a little too forcefully. It makes Cristian raise his hands in mock surrender, heading for the stairs.

“Care if I join you on your run?”

“If you can keep up.”

He stops on the stairs, glaring down at me. “Really? You want to compete against me? I run for a living, old man.”

“You run for fun, Crissy,” I mock. “We both know you don’t have to work for shit.”

Cristian’s eyes flare and then he turns, heading up the stairs with a, “Fuck you,” over his shoulder.

Overall, it’s a nice cabin. I was being bitter when I shit all over Elias and Poppy’s destination week. I just don’t like leaving my comfort zone. But this is nice, a cool place for a relaxing vacation, and a really fucking nice present. I think the best thing I ever bought a girlfriend- or someone I was hooking up with- was maybe a puzzle of her and her cat? It was certainly no cabin retreat.

The view of the lake is phenomenal, the décor is… Well, it’s got its charm. The wrap around porch will be a peaceful place to drink coffee in the morning, maybe finally write the speech I’ve been putting off?

Heading down the hall, I try to ignore Naomi’s room as I reach for the bathroom door. But her door is cracked, I can see her suitcase sitting open on the bench in front of her bed, her bridesmaid’s dress hanging from the curtain rod. Would it be crossing a line just to peek? Just to see how much better her accommodations are than mine? What does she have hidden in the drawers of her dresser?

I’m reaching to push the door open just a little further when the cabin’s sliding door opens and Rowan and Elias come laughing inside. Quickly, I draw my hand back and open the bathroom instead.

“Going for a run, Graham?” Rowan asks in Spanish, noting the t-shirt and shorts in my hand. “Good idea,” he pats Elias on the shoulder. “We’ll join you.”

“Fuck you, it’s my wedding week—”

“And you have a suit to fit into,” Rowan reminds him. “I’ll meet you guys at my cabin.”

He leaves and perhaps I linger outside the bathroom too long because Elias asks, “You good, Graham?”

Blinking, I nod. “Yeah, of course.” I force a smile. “Long flight.”

Nodding he smiles, heading toward the stairs. “I’m glad you’re here, amigo.”

“Sí…” I mutter, listening to the floorboards as he goes up to his own room upstairs. I glance at the still cracked door, reaching out to close it over. "Me too..."

✽✽✽

"How’s your sister doing, Graham?” Elias asks as we walk back to the cabin after our run.

Cristian passes him a water bottle, proceeding to stretch as he walks as if preparing for a game. The kid is annoyingly fit and impossible to keep up with, but his face is also all over every sneaker ad and electrolyte drink commercial I’ve seen for the last six months.

“She’s good,” I tell him. “The new place is really nice, and Jamie loves his new school. Thanks for those season passes by the way,” I pat Cristian’s shoulder.

“My pleasure.” He shrugs. “Not like I’m handing them out to anyone else. Lexi certainly doesn’t want to sit through even one of the games. A day at the mall doing nothing? No problem. Watching her brother play professional fútbol? A crime against entertainment she says.”

Rowan snorts, leaning against the side of his cabin as he works out his bad knee. “And you want to attend how many of your dad’s concerts?”

Elias looks mildly offended but Cristian sighs, “Fair.” His father holds out his hands in the universal gesture of what the fuck but Cristian shrugs. “Your music isn’t my thing—”

“Not your thing?!”