I swallow a bite of chicken. Swallow again.

“The same way you lit up when I gave you free reign to talk tits?”

He erupts with laughter. A big, deep belly laugh that tickles me to the point that I start to laugh, too.

“I’m only human, sweetheart.”

I put my hand on his chest. For half a heartbeat I consider grabbing his shirt and pulling him to me and kissing him.

I give him a playful shove instead.

Before I can pull back, he grabs my wrist. My body leaps at the contact, pulsing with awareness that gathers between my legs.

“I mean it,” he says. “You know who you are, Julia. And you’re not afraid to be who you are. To take chances, even after you’ve been through hell. I admire that.”

I look at him. Heart thumping.

Lightning flashes through the windows. More thunder, louder this time.

“This afternoon on the way to the doctor’s office—you said something about how many bullshit-y people there are in your world. Ever consider the idea that those aren’t your people?”

“I think I’d considered it. But I hadn’t taken the idea seriously.” He draws his thumb gently over the inside of my wrist. Once, twice. Making the throb inside my skin grow tenfold. “Not until now, anyway.”

There’s a universe inside that reply. A novel’s worth of scenes, stories, answers.

I want him to tell me that story. More, even, than I want him to touch me like this all over. Softly, intently, knowledgeably.

“Tell me what you mean by that,” I say.

But before I can ask him to, he’s dropping my hand and gathering up our empty plates. Both of which are, coincidentally, in front of me.

I blame Charlie Brown. Even though he/she is only the size of a raspberry right now, when my appetite is back, it’s back in a big way.

“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable on the couch?” He nods at the sleek sectional on the other side of the room. “Have you picked a movie you want to watch? I can get pretty much anything On Demand or through Amazon.”

I push back my stool and stand. Lordy, I’m full. In the best way.

“I told you, Greyson, I do the dishes.”

“I got it. Go sit.”

“You sit. This meal must’ve taken you hours to prepare. My turn to do the work.”

“You’re not gonna let this one go, are you?”

I pull the sleeves of my hoodie up to my elbows. “Nope.”

“Fine. How about we clean up together then?”

“Last time I’m letting you help.”

Chapter Fifteen

Greyson

The lights flicker just as we sit down.

“Good Lord.” Julia glances over her shoulder at the windows above the sink. “Getting nasty out there, isn’t it?”

I turn on the TV. “Let’s hope the electricity stays on long enough to finish a movie. Whatcha thinking?”

She looks at me, blue eyes alive with mischief.

Julia’s felt like shit. She’s had an exhausting week, same as me. But she’s still burning with energy. This liveliness that throws my own cold, dead heart into depressing relief.