Chapter 19
KATIE IS MINE
KATIE
“Hi!” I tried to beam excitedly when Amanda hugged me. “I missed you!” That was the sincere truth.
Even though I’d moved away for college, then to Los Angeles, and despite living in the same city now, meeting her wasn’t easy. I missed the way I used to stroll down to her house after school, spending hours in her room, talking about books, music, and boys.
“Missed you so much,” Amanda said, squeezing me tighter. “You get prettier every time I see you.”
I blushed, smiling back. “So do you!”
We hugged again, only stopping when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around us both.
Amanda gave a sharp nudge to her brother. “What the fuck are you doing?”
He ignored her and just grinned wider. “I love group hugs!”
“Ew, go find your own friends to hug,” Amanda elbowed him hard enough to make him wince and pull away. “Katie is mine.”
Dylan pouted, eyeing her arm around me, then casually slung his own around my shoulder.
“No, she’s mine,” he said it like it was a fact, as the two siblings sandwiched me between them. “She used to tutor me.”
“Yeah, only because you were stupid,” Amanda shot back, pinching his side and glaring at him. “Now get lost!”
Dylan turned his pout to me, his chest bare and ridiculously eye-catching.
Why did he have to look so… hot? With defined abs and tanned skin.
“Katie,” he said, voice dripping with false innocence. “Tell your friend to stop bullying me. I just want to spend time with you… both. Is that so bad?”
I blinked at his performance. Wow. He was good at lying. Maybe I should learn that from him as well.
I shrugged free of their hold and faced them side by side, their resemblance obvious. “How about we cook dinner together?”
Ding Dong.
The doorbell made me jump.
Amanda grinned. “That’s our dinner!” She went to open the door, while Dylan’s smug expression didn’t falter.
“Hi sexy,” he winked at me.
“No,” I replied flatly.
He gasped, clutching his chest. “Stop hurting my poor heart, darling.”
“Go wear a shirt,” I said, proud of myself for not glancing past his chin.
“No,” he smirked. “I enjoy having your eyes ogle my hot body.”
“Disgusting,” I deadpanned, and moved to help Amanda carry boxes of pizza to the coffee table in front of the huge TV.
My stomach growled as the smell of melted cheese and pepperoni hit me. We made small talk while I tried to ignore the fact that Dylan had shut himself in his room. Amanda told me he was living with her for a few months since he had sold an app.
I knew he was smart, but I didn’t realize he was tech-bro-smart with his mischievous side.
Later, I handed Amanda a small necklace I had made myself using her favorite gemstone and a simple design I’d tinkered with after work hours.
Her eyes widened, glossy with emotion, and she hugged me tightly. “I love it so much,” she said when I helped her fasten it around her neck. “You’re such a creative jeweler!”
I smiled, grateful she liked it. I’d poured hours of effort into the piece, wanting to try something different.
“You should open your own store,” she said playfully, fiddling with the pendant. “I could help you design the packaging, build the entire website, and you could—”
“Maybe in the future,” I interrupted politely.
She was great at her job, and I trusted her with my life, but designing pieces on my own, crafting them, manufacturing them, and ethically sourcing the jewels was a lot. I got overwhelmed just thinking about it.
I changed the subject to her girlfriend as we ate our dinner and trying my best to ignore the absence of Dylan’s smirks.
Weirdly enough, they were growing on me.
“She was so excited to meet you!” Amanda whined.
I hadn’t met Tina yet, but from everything I’d heard, she seemed sweet and a perfect match for Amanda.
I smiled, sinking back into the couch as a reality show about celebrity relationships played softly on the TV. “I’m glad you moved on from Bl—your ex, and found Tina.”
I had to stop myself from saying her name. They’d been in an on-and-off relationship for over a year, and it had been a toxic mess, taking a toll on Amanda’s mental health until I told her to break it off.
I always thought I was blunt, but in the end, I was glad she’d listened. Now, she was in a happy relationship with someone who truly cherished her.
“Enough about me!” Amanda chimed, a Cheshire grin spreading across her face. “Tell me about your little work crush. Did you flirt with him yet?”
Dylan walked out of his room, overheard our conversation and went straight to the kitchen. I ignored the way his T-shirt was clinging to his broad shoulders, as well as his perfectly styled hair.
“I’m planning to ask him to lunch soon,” I said, focusing entirely on Amanda and holding my smile in check. “Maybe on my birthday?”
Definitely on my birthday. I had been planning it for months, summoning every ounce of courage just to say the words.
“On your birthday?!” Amanda practically squealed, hugging me again. “I’m so excited! I just know he’s going to swoon all over you—”
“Stop screeching like a bird,” Dylan interrupted, strolling over and setting a tub of blueberry cheesecake on the coffee table. “Got this for you, Katie.”
His smile looked genuine, but his eyes were hard, like he was holding something back.
“Thank you,” I replied, picking up a spoon and digging in. The cheesecake was perfect. Soft and creamy, with just the right hint of tangy blueberry.
When I opened my eyes, he was staring. At my lips. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, I licked them. Amanda rambled on, completely unaware of the tension thickening the air. Dylan’s eyes darkened, his jaw clenched, and he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“See you soon,” he murmured, turning on his heels and leaving the apartment.
I took another bite of cheesecake, wondering if he’d gone to an appointment from Rented Romeo. I wasn’t sure I liked the tight, uneasy feeling building in my stomach.
Why did it feel like jealousy?
Jealous of Dylan being with other women… or maybe men?
I stared blankly at the tub, feeling the bitterness of the thought settle in.
“No way!” Amanda gasped, eyes glued to the TV. “Did you see that? He just kissed Eva!”
“He did?” I asked, paying attention to the reality show.
Amanda shook her head, leaning back on the couch, exasperated. “He literally said in the interview that his type was younger women… and now he’s making out with the only single mom on the show. Lying jerk.”
I swallowed. “He might’ve changed his mind after meeting her.”
Amanda glanced at me and shrugged. “Could be. I can never figure out men. Or what they think.”
“Yeah… me neither,” I said, thinking about Dylan and how persistent he had been.
“I think Dylan is turning into a player,” Amanda blurted, lowering the volume as the contestants began bickering, and turned to me. “He’s been going out a lot, coming home late. And not just that… he’s been bringing a few girls over, and I—”
“He brought girls over?” I interrupted her. Straightening up, I kept the tub aside and asked, “How many?”
She shrugged. “I don’t keep tabs on him. As long as he stays safe… and doesn’t get anyone pregnant.”
Pregnant?
My eyes widened. “Oh.”
I didn’t know what else to say. My heart pounded fast, and I didn’t know why I felt my mouth going bitter.
“I’m worried about him,” she said softly, pursing her lips. “He was doing so well with his start-up and made a huge sale. But ever since then, he’s been… well, just… going out and doing—”
“Maybe he’s just being a regular guy, you know?” I said, trying to ease the tension. “He could be hanging out with friends or… I don’t know what guys do? Go to the gym?”
She giggled, making me smile, and she squeezed my hand. “Dylan’s a good kid. I just hope he finds someone to settle down with soon.”
I nodded. “He is.” Despite his reckless charm, I knew he had a good head on his shoulders.
“I’d set you up with him if you weren’t—”
“Haha!” I cut in with a loud laugh, ignoring the unfinished sentence, turning up the TV volume instead. “Did you hear him just say people who like pineapple on pizza are a huge red flag?”
Amanda soon forgot about what she was going to say, and I was glad I had gotten her distracted. I didn’t want to overthink her words. How she wanted to set me up with… no.
It couldn’t happen.
It can’t happen.
Maybe that was why I couldn’t sleep until I heard footsteps outside my room.