Chapter 14 #2
“What about you two?” Lucia holds her hands out to Adam and me. “How did you meet?” she asks as if our relationship equates to the story they just shared.
“Oh.” I look at Adam. “Um, we used to be roommates.”
“Chloe told me!” Lucia puts a spoonful of food in Teddy’s mouth, or tries to. “How did that happen?”
Adam starts to rub the back of his neck, a signature giveaway that he feels uncomfortable. He looks at me and raises his eyebrows as if to ask do you want me to tell her? I slightly shrug.
“June begged him to move in with her,” Chloe answers before either of us can say anything.
Lucia starts snapping her fingers. “Yes, June!”
“I did not!” I say, my cheeks becoming flush.
“Oh, come on!” Chloe laughs. “Adam, didn’t she?”
“Define beg, ” Adam says.
“I hate you.” I shake my head and then turn to Lucia. “In my defense, I asked him to move in for practical reasons.”
“Yeah, like cooking you dinner every night and reaching for things on the top shelf,” Chloe says, and Adam and Lucia laugh.
“No, June, you’re smart,” Lucia says. “A young woman in her early twenties living all by herself in New York? Having a male roommate probably felt like protection too.”
“Thank you!” I hold my hand out to Lucia. “And splitting the cost of rent and utilities. Practical reasons. ”
“But seriously,” Chloe says. “I can’t believe we never talked about this. Harper, why did you say yes?”
“Are you kidding? I’d have to be an idiot to turn down living with June.” Adam shakes his head, then looks at me. “Even now.”
Teddy starts fussing and the conversation quickly pivots to Lucia’s job as a radiologist, but I’m still stuck on our last topic. It feels like the air supply has been cut off from my oxygen tank.
After dinner, Adam and I clean up the kitchen while Lucia and Chloe debate who should bathe Teddy and put him to bed.
“Babe, it might be faster if we just both do it,” Lucia suggests.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Chloe takes a final swig of her wine and looks at Adam and me. “You two can behave yourselves, right?”
“Yes, Mom.” I give her an unimpressed look.
“Just checking,” she says, holding up both hands, then heads up the stairs.
There’s a jazz vinyl playing in the background and the faint sounds of the crackling fire in the living room. Tonight has been such a wonderful evening that I almost don’t want to ever leave.
Adam places the caramel apple pie I got into the oven and pulls out a tray I never got to take a peek into earlier.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Chocolate bourbon chai latte cake with butter pecan frosting.” Adam reveals the most beautiful circular cake with the creamiest-looking frosting and pecan drizzles on top.
“Adam.” My eyes go wide. “This looks incredible.”
“I hope it’s good. It’s my first time making it.” He cuts a small slice and places it on a side plate.
“As if anything you make wouldn’t be good,” I say.
When he passes me the plate, our fingertips barely graze, yet I forget to breathe for a moment. I take a spoonful of the cake, and the sound that comes out of me is not in my control.
“Holy shit,” I say, my mouth still full. “This tastes like heaven.” When I look up at Adam, his focus is on me, like he’s studying my every move. “What?”
“Nothing,” he says softly. “It’s just…nice to do this again.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Although your taste tests have gotten a lot better in the past five years.”
“Thank God,” Adam says, cracking a smile. Then he gets more serious. “Not just that, though. Tonight’s been nice. Hanging out with Chloe again.”
Leading up to tonight, there was an uneasiness rooted in my insides.
I was worried tonight would feel like an evening with strangers, people I don’t know anymore.
That couldn’t have been further from the truth.
These past few hours, I felt like a missing puzzle piece that was suddenly found and placed in its right spot.
There’s a hole in my heart I didn’t know existed that’s now becoming full.
“It really has been,” I say.
“Lucia’s great,” Adam says, cutting another slice for himself.
“Right? She and Chloe are perfect for each other.”
“And Teddy.” He looks at me, eyes wide. “I mean, he’s the cutest baby on the planet.”
“I’m sure they would not put up a fight if you wanted to babysit,” I say.
“I might take them up on that. Good to know I’ve got a little buddy now.” He smiles, and for some reason the thought of Adam, Chloe, and Lucia hanging out makes me…sad. “When did you start wearing your hair natural?” he says from out of nowhere.
“What?”
“Your hair.” He nods his chin toward me. “You always used to straighten it.”
“Oh.” I reach for the top of my head. “I think once I turned thirty, I stopped caring.”
“It always felt like something forbidden,” he says. His gaze is set on mine for what feels like too long before he continues. “I’d mostly only get to see it after you came out of the shower…I like it.”
I do everything in my power to keep my composure. I want to tell him to not picture me after a shower, I want to stop myself from picturing him just out of the shower…but I also don’t want any of this to stop.
Yes, I want things to be easier, but it’s too easy to slip into our old routine. Maybe that’s all this is: an old habit dying hard. Or maybe it’s the feeling I keep trying to bury deeper and deeper, as if it’s not the only thought eating away at me every single second. I miss Adam.
“Thanks,” I finally say. “I mean, since we’re talking about appearances, I feel like I need to state the obvious.” He raises an eyebrow. “You have aged like a fine wine.”
He lets out a genuine laugh. “What?”
“Come on, ” I say. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know how good you look.”
Adam smiles and then reaches over for the bottle of red behind me.
I hold my breath as his chest hovers over mine.
Our gaze meets, and for a brief moment I glance at his lips to catch him quickly licking them.
I want to shut my eyes and let my body take control, but instead I stay strong and watch his every move.
“More wine?” he says softly.
I know the look on his face all too well right now. It’s one that’s bordering on dangerous territory. My chest rises with my next breath as I reach for my glass.
“I’d love some.”
I stand corrected. Week two living with Adam might be a lot harder than week one.