Murphy's Law (Havenwood #2) - Riley Hart Page 0,43
place I could think to come was here. I’m trying to be me, and I’d like… I thought maybe we could hang out with your friends one night if you want. If not, I understand. I know it’s not much, but…”
But it was more than we had before. It was a step. I could read between the lines. I knew what he was saying. That we try, that we take it slow and see what happens. That we figure out this friends thing or where it goes from there. But we both knew the possibility of having our hearts broken was still there too.
Yet…he was trying, something he hadn’t done before. Damned if I didn’t want that.
“If you don’t want it, if you can’t, I’ll understand. I’ll go, but I don’t want to. I let you walk out before, and I don’t want to do that again.”
I’d probably regret it. My heart had never mended from the last time. I’d never let anyone in because of him. I also couldn’t keep him locked out.
Reaching for him, I grabbed his hands. I danced my fingers through his and tickled his skin, watching the hair on his arms stand on end. “I’ll kick your ass if you go…and Bear…he’ll be pissed. He’s already mad at you, actually, so you should stay and get back into his good graces. It’ll likely take a lot of groveling.”
He laughed, and just like that, I breathed.
“I can do that. I can grovel.”
“That’s what a good friend would do.”
“I definitely want to be a good friend.”
“How about we have the guys out to my place? A barbecue or something and start there?”
We had never spent time with anyone when we’d been together before. The only people in the world who knew Remy was gay were me, Brittany, and the guys he’d slept with, but it seemed we were both aware that if we hung out with the crew, they would know there had been something between us.
“Okay. Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“My house, remember?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, right. So I know the where, obviously.”
“Yeah. It might be different this time, ya know? We aren’t the same people. We don’t even know each other anymore, not really.” But that didn’t feel truthful. I always felt like I knew him.
“Are you saying we might drive each other crazy and realize we really hate each other? Or that we really are better as friends?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged.
“Maybe.” He did the same, but I was pretty sure neither of us believed it.
“Come on, lemme finish showing you the park, and then we better go get Bear. We’re a package deal, he and I, so again, lots of groveling and scritches for both of us…maybe a treat or two. That should do it.”
“I can handle that,” Remy said as we started walking again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Remington
The barbecue at Law’s was set for two weeks out. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind he’d done that for my benefit. That was just the way he was. But to prove to him that I was trying to step out of my comfort zone too, I was making some changes.
I ate either breakfast or lunch at Sunrise Café three days each week. I kept to myself, had my meal, and sometimes brought a book or something to read. I noticed people on their laptops there sometimes. The first time he’d seen me there after our walk, he’d looked startled again, and that had only proven to me that I needed to be there. Fuck, it was a goddamned meal in a restaurant. There was no reason it should have been as big of a deal as it was. My desire to keep to myself had grown more than I’d let myself acknowledge. Like Brit had said, it wasn’t that I never did anything, but it was like pulling teeth to get me out, and most of the time, it was never somewhere I wanted to be.
Sunrise was different. Maybe it was the atmosphere, or maybe it was because the place was Law’s, but I enjoyed my time there.
“Hey, you!” Mary Beth said as I was seated in her section. It was a Friday, and the barbecue at Law’s was scheduled for the next day.
“Morning,” I replied with a smile.
“Still reading the same book?”
“Oh, yeah. The Picture of Dorian Gray.” I fumbled with the worn cover.
“I just finished Little Women for about the hundredth time. My ex-husband used to get so grumpy when I would read