“No, honey, there’s none back here.” Mrs. Johnson comes around the corner, her face lighting up when she spots me. “Noah, you’re back. How’d it go with Lolli?”
“As wild as expected, I’m sure.” Mason pumps my elbow, and a low laugh leaves me.
“She’s sweet. It was a good conversation.”
Ari looks over her shoulder then and my chest inflates.
“What uh, what were you looking for?” I wonder, peeling my jacket off and setting it over the chair. I push my sleeves up, cautiously making my way around the side of the island.
I pause beside her, and a nervous smile pulls at her lips.
“Ma was looking for some peppers,” Mason offers.
I nod, trying to keep my breathing steady because I think I know where this is going. “There’s some jalapenos in the fridge.”
“You think that would be okay?” Ari wonders, glancing my way briefly.
“It might, but what kind were you looking for?”
“Crushed peppers.”
I purposely don’t say a word, and she looks to me. “You know, like pizza peppers?”
I fight a grin, my pulse flipping. “Right, right. Pizza peppers.”
Ari’s hand freezes mid stir, her head snapping my way. A small frown builds over her brow, but a small smile slips in the next second. “Wait!” She walks over to the side drawer and digs around, pulling out a few packets of peppers from Benito’s pizza. She holds them up in triumph. “I knew these would come in handy.”
She comes back, tears them open and pours them inside.
I lean my elbow on the counter, facing her. “That should give it a nice little kick, huh?”
Her smile is wide. “Exactly.”
Her eyes freeze on mine and a knot forms in my throat.
God, she’s so beautiful.
“Oh, shit!” Brady comes in with a shout and damn it if it doesn’t break the spell. “We got fire extinguishers, right?”
“And homeowners’ insurance?” Cameron adds.
“Ha, ha.” Ari shakes her head. “They swear I’m useless, Noah.”
I slip a little closer, her elbow brushing along my chest as she stirs, and her chest rises with a full inhale.
Her eyes lift to mine, her long, dark lashes fanning along her cheekbones.
“Looks like you’re doing just fine.” My tone’s a bit huskier than I’d have liked, but I don’t care.
She blinks, a flicker of something flashing across her face and then she tips her chin, that sweet shyness I love coming through.
I miss you.
She frowns, but quickly washes it away, jerking her head over her shoulder. “Yeah, I’m doing just fine. Maybe I don’t suck so bad after all.” She pauses. “Mother.”
“Hey.” Mrs. Johnson leans against her husband, pulling a coffee mug to her lips to hide a smile. “I didn’t say it.”
The room laughs, and before I look away, Mr. Johnson catches my eye.
He winks and goes back to his reading.
My eyes don’t move off of her after that.
She’s working off of memory, one that I gave her, and she doesn’t even know it.
Mason and I are tossing the football around in the street when Ari stumbles out of the house, tripping over Mason’s shoes.
“Shit, Mason!” She laughs, catching herself on the chair by the door.
“My bad!” he shouts, glancing behind him when the roar of Nate’s Hummer grows near.
“Crap, tell them to wait. I forgot my phone!” She hustles back inside, and we turn to face the girls.
The windows are rolled down, the music is loud, and Lolli doesn’t press the brake until she’s right in front of the house, finally coming to a screeching halt.
Payton and Lolli’s cousin Mia smiles from the back, leaning half out the window.
“Sup, boys?”
“Not much, playing some catch.” I point to Mason, who walks up with a frown.
“Where’s little D?” He tucks the ball beneath his arm.
Payton looks to him, her eyes briefly flicking past mine. “Ari seems to be keeping her distance from him so I—” Her eyes flick to mine, and her lips press into a tight smile. “Sorry, Noah.”
A sharp pain stabs at my chest, and it doubles, knowing Ari is avoiding being around Payton’s son, but I shake my head, not wanting to make her feel guilty when she shouldn’t. “It’s okay.”
“I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, so I left him with my brother.”
“I could have helped,” Mason argues.