“Lead the way back to the lodge. Stay silent the entire time, for the love of pity Pete.”
“What’s to pity about Pete?”
“Argh!” Zoe’s eyes lift up to the sky like she thinks something up there can help her. Or maybe she’s just trying to brace against another bastard dive bomber spruce beetle or whatever they’re called. Pine sawyer—that might also be the name. I’ve heard the lodge owners tell us about both. Fuck if I know what it was. I didn’t even see the foul fucker. “You’re not getting a tiebreaker. Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
“Alright?”
“We’ll see. I have bets on you coming to me. Or just coming.”
Zoe stands rigid. She’s not even going to dignify that with an answer. I know Zoe, though, or at least I used to. I can tell when she’s genuinely pissed, and right now, she’s just acting. The truth is there in her eyes. The truth is there is something strange and undeniable between us—a chemistry neither of us expected. Something. Something that just isn’t going to go away. It’s definitely physical, but it’s sure the hell more than that too.
It feels like something connected to the heart.
It feels a little bit like being soulmates, that connection. Like someone whom you met once, and no matter how much time passes, you just pick up right where you left off. Maybe I’m not using that term correctly. I think there are different kinds of soulmates, though. I kind of feel like Zoe never left, except she did. And she grew up. But she’s still the same Zoe deep down inside. She still isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she’s still the same girl who would take on a crowd of bullies if they were picking on someone she loves. She always stood up for what she believed in. She was fearless, full of heart. Such a huge heart that’s so much bigger than her small stature.
Zoe always got along with just about everyone. Obviously. There isn’t a single person out there who is capable of not loving her in some sort of way.
Of course, it’s connected. This girl used to be my best friend, and we tattooed each other’s initials into our skin. Maybe it’s the blood poisoning kicking in after all these years that’s messing with our heads.
Maybe.
But I don’t think so.
“Just so you know,” Zoe grumbles a few minutes later from further behind me than I’d like her to be. “I’m still giving my notice.”
I can’t even begin to smother my grin. She can’t see it anyway, but she probably knows it’s there. “We’ll see.”
CHAPTER 14
Zoe
The moment I’ve been sweating over and dreading is finally here.
Raiden literally paid a private cab company to come out to the lodge, which is in the middle of nowhere but still has road access, to come and get us to take us into Denver for lunch with his mom. I sat up front so I wouldn’t have to talk to him.
Thankfully, our driver, a younger guy who didn’t look old enough to have a valid license, wasn’t in the mood for conversation either, so I could just sit and stew in my worries instead of talking about something else.
When we get to the place, Raiden opens the door of a classic looking family restaurant and holds it for me. He’s not a gentleman, even if he does hold doors. His mom probably chose the place, as it’s surely not fancy enough to be up to par with his new, expensive tastes.
For some reason, I just can’t see him enjoying a burger and fries the way he used to when we were kids, where he’d inhale two or sometimes three, eat all of his fries, and mine too, and often drink my soda as well. We weren’t often treated to eating out when our parents were married because they didn’t have a ton of extra cash or just didn’t think to take us out for dinner, but whenever we were, Raiden ate like he wanted to make up for all the times we weren’t.
My eyes flick to his back as he walks ahead of me to talk to the smiling, young hostess at the front. Maybe I just can’t imagine Raiden eating like that because he looks like he hasn’t ever touched fast food in his life. He’s way too fit. I haven’t seen him with a shirt off, but I have seen the way his t-shirts give his abs, chest, and shoulders some love. They hug those tight parts even tighter.
The hostess says something I don’t catch, and then Raiden follows her in, and I have to follow both of them. The restaurant isn’t fancy on the inside. It screams nineties family diner, and with the blonde wood on the walls, outdated purple booths and tables, scary low pile green carpet, and ancient-looking thin metal blinds, it looks like it hasn’t seen better times since it was last renovated or built.
On the other hand, there is a pie counter at the front with a ton of delicious looking goodies in there, so I immediately give this place a thumbs up for thinking about the rest of humanity—those of us who don’t look like we live in the gym and who actually eat something other than straight chicken breasts for every meal.
I spot Raiden’s mom, Gwen, as soon as Raiden slides into the booth opposite her, leaving me with a clear line of view. I manage to paste on what I hope passes as a welcoming, warm smile, and since
