her a couple of seconds to blink her mind clear again.
“ ‘Too safe,’ ” she said, “is when you hover, you’re always right there staring over her shoulder, never letting her do anything without fretting like an old mother hen. It’s like you’re trying to micromanage her life.”
“Well, when you put it like that…” His smile wasn’t very big, but his eyes sparkled clear. “It’s a wonder she stayed with me as long as she did.”
“I don’t know, Ponch—you’re not so bad.” Closing the lid on the last few pieces in the box, Ellie scooped it up with the empty plates and carried everything over to the counter. “Besides, if Spicy Thai Girl hadn’t kicked your ass to the curb, who would’ve stepped up to be my super-awesome fake boyfriend?”
“I thought we decided Dickie was the man for you.” He rolled his eyes slightly, then lifted both their drinks off the table. “Come on.”
He led her out to the living room, where he turned on Netflix and searched out…
“Snap, Poncherello—no way, really?” Before he could even finish typing the title The Killing, she’d flopped down on the end of the couch and tucked her legs up beside her.
“Which episode?”
“If you haven’t seen it, then start at the beginning. I’m more than happy to watch it all over again.”
“I’ve seen it.”
“All of it? So you know how it ends? Did that Kyle kid do it? Or was it that creepy photographer guy? What about Holder and Caroline? I bet he’s a good dad, isn’t he? I just don’t see him and Caroline together long-term, though; she doesn’t get him like Linden does.”
Brett hadn’t said a word the whole time, just stood there bumping the remote against his thigh.
“D’you want to watch or d’you want me to tell you?”
“Tell me,” she begged, then shook her head. “No, don’t. I want to watch. Second-to-last episode, please.”
With a slow shake of his head, he hit Play, then flopped down on the couch beside her, hands folded over his stomach, bare feet crossed on the coffee table.
“I should probably warn you,” he said, settling back against the cushion. “If my super-awesome fake girlfriend’s going to sit here drooling over some skinny-ass addict who can’t get his shit together, I’m not going to be happy about that.”
“Shush, it’s starting.”
“Yes, dear.”
Ellie didn’t get off that couch until the very end. Brett refilled her drink, brought the pizza box out to the living room, then made her a big bowl of popcorn, but the only movement she made was between episodes, when she called her mom, who repeatedly told her she was fine and that Ellie should just enjoy herself.
“Oh, Holder,” Ellie croaked, swiping her hand under her eyes as the final credits rolled. “Don’t you just love him?”
“Yeah,” he grunted, holding out the last napkin for her to use. “Love him.”
“Seriously.” With her muscles creaking from sitting so long, Ellie unfolded herself from the couch, laced her fingers, and stretched as high as she could before reaching down and grabbing her toes. “I wouldn’t sit still for that long for just anyone, you know.”
“I’m sure he appreciates it.” At his end of the couch, with his legs straight out and his arm thrown over the back of the cushion, his eyes softened and his mouth slowly curled up into a small grin. “Want another beer?”
“What time is…Eleven? Oh, wow, no, I should get going.”
“You sure? We could binge Sons of Anarchy next.”
“Tempting,” she said. “But my mother has apparently discovered online dating, so I need to get home and make sure she hasn’t given out my address to every ax murderer she’s hooked up with tonight.”
“Good idea. Ax murderers are a dime a dozen these days; make her wait for someone with a bit more imagination.”
“Exactly.” She followed him to the kitchen and set the three remaining beers in his fridge. “See, aside from the whole pizza debacle, we’re like one brain. Crazy, right?”
“Yeah. Crazy.” He leaned back against the sink, his hands wrapped around the edge of the counter. “Guess you need a ride home, huh?”
“Well, yeah,” she sighed dramatically. “It’s the whole ‘no license’ thing again, and apparently my new boyfriend is a real stickler for things like that.”
“Go figure.” He stared back at her for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. “Okay, let’s go before the ax murderers start lining up at your door.”
They made it back to her place in about five minutes but spent a hell of a lot longer than that sitting in