He grinned. “I picked up a second job for the rest of the summer. I’ve got my eye on that sweet little Ford for sale down on Upriver Drive.”
“Good for you.” She took the plastic bags from him. “You have a nice day now.”
“You, too.” He stopped at the top of the stairs. “Hey. Is it true that you’re dating Adam Meyer?”
Apparently the plan was working. She didn’t know if she found that comforting or just exhausting, especially after this morning. “Yep.”
His face lit up. “That’s so cool. Did you know he rides bulls? He’s held the record down at San Antonio for seven years.” There was a fair amount of hero worship on his face, and she couldn’t blame him. Adam really was larger than life. There was a lot he’d done that was insanely cool, whether to a teenage boy or a twenty-six-year-old cat café owner.
I like him. Crap.
“He’s pretty great.”
“He’s the best. If I wasn’t going to college, I’d totally be a bull rider. I bet he gets mad chicks.” He flushed beet red. “Er, sorry, Jules. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just—”
“It’s okay. I’ll see you around.” She eased the door shut, her good mood slipping away. Because Johnny Jacob was right—Adam Meyer was like catnip to women. He might not have put that power to use since he’d been back in Devil’s Falls—probably because she’d jumped him the first time he was out and about—but that didn’t change the fact that he’d probably left a string of broken hearts behind him.
She set the food down in front of Aubry on the coffee table and resumed her seat. “Why does it bother me that Adam may have banged his way through half of Texas?”
“Because you like him.” Aubry took out the foam containers and set them in a neat little row. “But you know you’re not really dating and that this thing is ending at some point, so you don’t have the security of being able to discount his past.”
That was it exactly. Jules sighed. “Pretending to date him was a mistake.” Especially when it had become clear that they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
“Then we don’t you date him for real?”
She frowned as Aubry nudged a container over to her. “For me?” She opened it. “Holy crap, you got me French toast with blueberry syrup. How’d you know I’d be back in time?” It didn’t matter that she’d just eaten with Adam. There was always room for French toast with blueberry syrup.
“I had a feeling.” Aubry smiled her Cheshire cat smile. “Now, back to your clusterfuck of a love life…”
“I love you, but you kind of suck at pep talks.” She cut up the French toast and doused it in the syrup. “I can’t date him for real. That’s not what he agreed to, and if I suddenly pull something like that, he’s going to freak out. Aubry, I can’t even ask him if he’s okay without him shutting me down. The man has more issues than Vogue.”
Aubry made a sound suspiciously like a moan at her first bite of omelet. “I’d think you’re used to it after dealing with me all these years. You’re an old pro at people with issues.”
It was true that her friend had some…triggers. And hated people. And would hole up in their apartment for weeks on end if left to her own devices. She chewed, closing her eyes in pure bliss. “That’s different.”
“Not really. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Adam has a ring of space around him wherever he goes.” She took another bite. “I wish he’d teach me how to do that. I go out and randos come up and tell me that they’ll pray for me or to keep my chin up because it can’t be that bad. This?” She pointed at herself. “This is my face. This is the way it looks.”
Jules had never really thought about it, but Adam did kind of have a don’t-screw-with-me vibe. “He’s just gone through a lot.”
“We all have. There’s no reason not to date him for real if he’s making you all twitterpated.”
She ate half her French toast before she responded. “What if he says he doesn’t want to date me? He’s not staying in Devil’s Falls. He’s made that abundantly clear.”
“Look, Jules, I’m going to be honest with you.” Aubry set her food aside and rotated to face her, her expression solemn. “There’s only room in this relationship for one paranoid, antisocial, budding agoraphobic. That’s me. You’re the bright and sunny one that makes people smile just by walking into the room. You’re my better half. Maybe you could be his better half, too.”