My mind wandered as I trotted up the steps, making more important plans to pick up donuts and coffee on my way back. I wondered briefly if I could make Tess smile with my offering, then remembered myself, shooting instead to get her to stop insulting me.

I hitched the box on my hip and knocked on the familiar door, which opened before my hand returned to my side.

Zebra print. Should have made a bet with Kash.

Judy stretched her arm, her face twisted in a seductive smile, silk kimono sliding off one shoulder. “Why, hello, Luke.”

“Special delivery,” I said, amused. “Where do you want it?”

“Anywhere you’ll give it to me,” she said, grabbing a handful of my shirtfront to drag me inside.

And with a laugh, I let her.

TESS

“What in the world did that hydrangea ever do to you?”

When I looked up, Ivy was smirking at me from the other side of my table. I’d been too busy fuming to notice her approach.

“Guess it was just too pretty,” I said, snipping a branch and depositing it in the water bucket.

“Like somebody else we know,” she teased.

“I can’t imagine what you mean, Ivy Parker.” Snip. Dunk. Fume.

She gave me a look as she picked up a pair of shears. “Tess, it’s been ten years. You haven’t even seen him in five.”

“I know,” I huffed.

“Surely you can’t still be mad.”

I plunked my shears down on the table and gave her a look right back. “I’m not. Honestly, I haven’t even thought about it in years.”

Ivy gave me a look.

“I mean it. Honestly, it was a relief when he moved away. I’m not mad he forgot about the kiss. Annoyed maybe. Irritated? Sure. But the truth is, Luke acted exactly like I should have expected him to. And him forgetting the kiss busted my rose-colored glasses. I saw every shitty thing he did, and that was all I could see.”

“Can see,” she corrected lightly, snipping a branch.

“He’s just so…” Arrogant. Conceited. Vain. Maddening. “He’s so completely Luke. He hasn’t changed a bit. In fact, I think the years have made him worse.”

“Or made you more grumpy.”

I sighed.

“I’m glad to hear you admit you’re not mad he forgot he kissed you when you were sixteen. Otherwise, I’d tell you to get yourself some real, adult problems.”

“The fact that he kissed me and pretended like I didn’t exist afterward doesn’t exactly help his case any.”

“No, I guess it wouldn’t.”

I eyed her. “But…”

“Well, Luke’s a lot of things, but an asshole isn’t one of them. I think if you told him, he’d feel bad. Don’t you?”

“Does Luke Bennet actually feel anything?” Snip.

She ignored me. “You didn’t even tell me until he moved to the other side of the country. Five years, you kept it from me, your best friend. You even let me fool around with him right there under your nose.”