The Do-Over (The Rooftop Crew #5) - Piper Rayne Page 0,32
Not that I mind kids, but I want to have a serious conversation with Kamea.
I pour our beers in the mugs they supplied as Kamea unwraps her silverware. I slide one over to her and motion for her to take a sip. “What do you think?”
She swallows and then looks over at me with a smile. “Actually that’s pretty good.”
I grin. “Told you. Anyway, as I was saying in the truck—”
She holds up her hand. “We don’t have to have this conversation.”
“I’d like to, if it’s okay.”
She stops arranging her pizza and sits back in her chair.
“We had a connection that night, right?”
Her eyes meet mine and she nods. “I thought so.”
And there it is. I did hurt her all those years ago. “I was coming off a breakup. A girl from college I’d been dating. I wanted something just for the night. You’re not—”
“Leilani. I know.” She crosses her legs and tucks her hands under her thighs.
“No.” I shake my head and scowl. “I meant to say you’re not someone a guy wastes a one-night stand on.”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, thanks.”
“Damn, I’m messing this up.” I push a hand through my hair and blow out a breath. “You’re a take-home-to-mom kind of girl. The one you want to meet when you’re ready to settle down.”
“I guess a guy will finally approach me when I’m forty.” She smiles though, and I’m hopeful she sees it as a compliment.
“It’s a good thing. But I wanted to apologize because I was a young punk then. To flirt with you and take your friend home.” I shake my head.
She shrugs and picks up her silverware. “It’s okay. I’m kind of used to it when it comes to Leilani.”
“What?” I draw back, shocked.
She waves her fork as though it’s no big deal. “Everyone loves Leilani. She’s a good time. I’m not surprised you did too.”
The conversation dies as I realize something. Every girlfriend I’ve had has usually had a best friend who’s the polar opposite. The outgoing one and the quiet one. The outgoing one who keeps the quiet one in their shadow.
“Tell me more about high school with you two, if you don’t mind?”
Her facing going white, she drops her fork and it falls onto the floor. She doesn’t immediately try to grab it. Then she snaps out of her daze and picks up the fork and puts in the dishwasher bins by the garbage. She returns to the table with fresh silverware, and I wait for her to say something.
“Not much to say, honestly.”
I’m obviously missing a very big piece of the puzzle when it comes to Leilani and Kamea’s relationship. Whatever went down between them, it went down in high school.
Chapter Fifteen
Kamea
I didn’t live in a bad area, but it’s not in the cared-for downtown part Peekskil.
The pizza would’ve been better if I hadn’t been worried about Knox seeing right through me after he asked me about Leilani and high school. I appreciate his apology for the night we originally met, and it only confirms what I seem to have always known about Knox—he’s a great guy. But he didn’t say he’s looking for a relationship now. Or even that he’d want one with me.
“Hey, Sally,” I say when my former building manager answers the door in her going-out wear—spandex and black nylon tights. She might still think it’s the eighties.
“How are you?” she asks, opening the door and eyeing Knox. “And who are you?”
“Oh, this is Knox.”
“Her roommate.” He holds out his hand, and she shakes it.
“Man, girly, you sure recovered quickly. Wish I had a roommate that looked like you.” She eyes Knox from head to toe.
Pink colors Knox’s cheeks, and he glances at his feet.
Yeah, I’m swooning right now with you, Sally.
Knox walks to the pile of my stuff in the corner of the room, ignoring Sally’s flirting and my dreamy eyes. “This all yours?”
“Yeah.”
He picks up my flat-screen television. The one I bought with my tips from the country club last Christmas. The rich do tip well around the holidays. Knox walks the TV out of the apartment while Sally sits at her vanity that she keeps in the family room because she can’t be away from her soap opera channel.
“He’s a cutie. How’d you hook up with him?” she asks, lowering one eyelid to put on purple eyeshadow.
“A friend of a friend. He’s being nice and letting me stay with him. Figured I might as well get this stuff out of your way.” I pick