“Dude, you’re up early. I figured you’d still be cry— Shit.” He froze when Levee spun to face him.
“Oh, shit,” she breathed, swinging her head between Scott and me—her eyes growing angrier every time they landed on me. “No fucking way.”
My lips twitched as she got the completely wrong idea.
“Are you…” Scott started in awe.
“Levee,” I said in both an answer and introduction. “This is my best friend, Scott. Scott, this is Henry’s best friend, Levee Williams.” I scratched the back of my head. “Er…Rivers.”
Levee’s murderous glare leveled me. “Best friend?”
The woman was more than a tad pissed off on Henry’s behalf. If it hadn’t been for the gaping hole in my heart, I would have burst into laughter.
Even still, I released a quiet chuckle and elaborated. “Straight best friend.”
“Totally straight!” Scott proclaimed after me. “Super straight. So straight, straight men wish they could be me. Straight as an arrow. Ruler straight. No! Make that yardstick straight.”
“You done yet?” I glared at him, unimpressed.
He bulged his eyes and tipped his chin to her while mouthing, “Holy shit!”
I shook my head and looked back at Levee. “You’ll have to excuse Mr. Straight. He has problems.”
Her cheeks pinked in embarrassment. “Sorry…I thought…”
“Coffee?”
“Yes! But no. Sam would sense the caffeine hitting my taste buds and show up like the Kool-Aid Man busting through your wall to stop me.” She propped her chin on a hand and frowned. “Any chance you’d be willing to indulge my voyeuristic needs and let me stare at you while you drink it? I’ll do my best to suppress the creepy moans.”
The first genuine smile in over a week teased at my lips, but it fell just as fast. There was a reason Henry and Levee were so close, and that similarity was almost more than I could take.
“I’ll be happy to indulge you. No suppressing necessary,” Scott flirted, sauntering into the kitchen, his abs flexed so tight it was a wonder he was able to speak. “Nice to meet you, Levee.” He extended a hand over the bar.
Levee took his hand and turned to the side to expose her stomach, politely—and pointedly—saying, “Nice ink. My husband would love it.”
Scott barked a laugh, catching the hint loud and clear. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“I would expect nothing less from the consummate straight man,” she replied.
I pressed brew on the coffee pot and then leaned my hip against the counter, crossing my legs at the ankle. “So, let’s get back to Henry.”
Her eyes flashed to Scott in question.
“Oh, don’t hold back on my account,” he said. “I know all about Henry’s premature departure. Evan hasn’t stopped crying all week.” He nabbed an apple off the counter and polished it on his flexed pec.
I swung a fist out to the side and landed it hard on his shoulder. “Asshole.”
“What? It’s true. Besides you know beautiful women are my kryptonite. I’d spill all of your deep, dark secrets for one this gorgeous.” He winked at Levee while crunching into the apple.
Her eyes lit as she leaned over the bar and asked, “Is he in love with Henry?”
“Don’t answer that!” I shouted.
He mocked insult. “Man, I would never answer something so personal.” Then he turned to Levee, nodding as he shot her a shit-eating grin.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Can you go home now?” I growled at him.
“Sure can.” He turned back to Levee and shook his head while mouthing, “No.”
“Go,” I ordered.
He threw his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’m going. Nice to meet you, Levee.”
“You too, Scott the straight man,” she laughed.
I rolled my eyes and not-so-patiently waited for him to get dressed and actually leave. After one last round of goodbyes, Levee and I were alone again.
“So…Henry?” I prompted.
“Ah, yes. Henry.” She intertwined her fingers and rested her linked hands on the bar between us but said nothing else.
After several seconds of staring at each other, I was the one who finally broke the silence. “You’re killing me here.”
Placing a hand over her heart, she feigned innocence. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you weren’t interested.”
I shot her a don’t-be-ridiculous expression that had her smile spreading so wide I feared for her lips.
“Okay, okay… You freak him out.”
I hitched a thumb at my chest. “I freak him out? Me? The one he ran out on approximately ten seconds after we had sex for the first time? The one he has avoided at all costs since I fucking pulled up my pants? Yeah. Sorry. Didn’t mean to freak him out so badly.”
“Well, I didn’t say it was a rational fear. I’m just stating the facts.”
Groaning, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You know what? On second thought—I can’t do this. Maybe it’s for the best he took off the way he did. Save us the trouble down the road.”