Page 69 of All Our Nevers

“You know,” I reply, wiping away my tears with the back of a hand, “she actually wasn’t bad. But she made this super serious expression while playing and I just—”

I double over again, laughing with my whole chest to the point that it could be heard over the music even three houses down and Owen has to drag me farther away.

“I’m sorry,” I breathe. “I’m sorry. I’m such a bitch. But it was so funny. I think you maybe had to be there.”

When I finally get my limbs under control enough to type out a text to Andy, Owen reads it over my shoulder.

Lia: uh oh. hate to ruin your honeymoon but sophies got competition

Lia: [video]

A reply comes through almost immediately—so quickly there’s no way Andy actually watched it, but the preview image told the whole story anyway.

Andy: You’re the devil.

Lia: xoxo

“Maybe I should become best friends with your brother, since you’re best friends with mine,” Owen says.

“Go for it. Nolan is a big fucking dweeb but he’s also a sweetheart and a total bro. I bet you’d actually like him.”

“I do like him.”

“You should go to a Sox game together or something. That’s what men do when they hang out, right?”

“You and your rigid gender roles, Amelia,” he admonishes.

I knock into his shoulder, then he reaches over to take my hand in his. It’s warm and big and I consider making a joke about his soft, uncalloused lawyer hands but it feels nice enough that I actually don’t want to ruin it.

When the sun is low in the sky and I have matching blisters on the backs of my feet, Owen drives me home, taking a permit-only parking spot outside my building in the most reckless act I’ve ever seen from him.

“You know this weird chivalry isn’t necessary, right?” I say as we ascend my building’s front steps. “Especially not for the fifty-dollar ticket you’re about to get.”

“I don’t know, Amelia. You’ve got some pretty strict rules for conduct. I’m just erring on the side of caution.”

My smile is a knowing tease when we reach the top step. “And I’m not inviting you in.”

“You’re not, huh?” His expression is just as knowing and twice as cocky.

“You’re my best friend’s brother, remember?” My palms come to rest on his chest, his wrap around my waist. “If we have a bad one-night stand, we’ll be stuck with years of awkward birthday parties.”

“Who says it would be bad?”

“Well, I know I would be good, but I’m gonna need a bit more data on you first.”

“Oh, you are?” he asks.

“Mhm.”

The sky behind him is darkening, medium blues swirling into purple beneath the clouds. The contrast between his light eyes and dark brows is pure mischief as he says, “Then come and take it.”

My body floats towards his slowly, tauntingly, and he’s steadfast—not moving an inch. My chin tips up toward him. His tips down toward me.

It’s a battle of wills, but I’m the General of this army.

I get close—so close that his sparkling eyes are starting to drift shut—when at the last minute I shift to the side, my neck a teasing centimeter from his lips. His breath skitters across the soft skin below my ear. A big hand on my lower back, a strong chest under my palm, a sigh from my lips and his resolve finally crumbles.

His lips press into the skin under my jaw, groaning a low vibration across my pulse point. One hand reaches to cup the side of my neck, exerting only the suggestion of pressure to position me as his mouth moves down, behind my ear, charging every particle of my skin.