Page 18 of Only Fate

No way in hell would I have taken Terrance’s offer if she wasn’t here.

“And what’s up with the flowers?” she says, her words coming out faster. It’s what she does when she grows agitated. It’salso something we worked on in college because she wanted to slow her talking—pack a better punch with them in courtrooms. “Did you send them to create bad juju in my office?”

I shake my head. “The flowers were a genuine gesture. I want your firm to succeed, Essie.”

“Sure,” she drawls out. “I want my competition to do well, said no one ever.”

“There’s plenty of business to go around,andas I suggested before, we can always merge.”

She scoffs. “I’d appreciate you finding another pub to hang out at. This is my safe space, which means Adrian-free.”

I glance around. “Thisis your safe space? If I recall correctly, your safe space used to be quiet libraries and places where people wouldn’t talk to you.”

“I could go for thedon’t talk to meright now.”

“Sorry, Esmeralda, but you can’t lay claim to a public place.”

She holds up a finger as if counting. “A, this isn’t a public place. It’s a private business owned by my uncle.” Another finger rises. “B, don’t call me that.” She makes a shoo gesture. “Now, find your own safe space.”

“Oh shit. Adrian, is that you?” River asks, interrupting us. He stops at Essie’s side—his height nearly three inches taller than her—and points toward me with his beer. When Essie gives him a dirty look, he shuffles back a step. “Shit, sorry.” His attention returns to me. “I forgot I’m supposed to hate you for reasons my sister won’t tell me.”

River and I got along in college, but I wouldn’t consider us close friends. While I kept to myself and studied, River made the best of college life until he dropped out. I’m almost positive he went to college for the experience and left when he was tired of it.

Essie elbows River. “Uh, promotion stealer, remember?”

River dramatically glares at me. “Yeah, you rat bastard, you.” He claps my shoulder. “Sorry, man, it’s twin rules. If she hatesyou, I hate you by proxy.” His tone says he’s far more entertained than worried about hating me.

“Swear to God, I’m never having your back again,” Essie grumbles to River.

“Sis, you know I one hundred percent always have your back.” River laughs. “The problem with this time is that I know you two don’t really hate each other. You’re just too much alike.”

“Negative,” Essie says, her gaze traveling to me. “I’m not morally corrupt.”

“You two kids have fun,” River says, chuckling while he leaves us and wanders toward the bar.

As soon as he’s out of earshot, I hold my hand out. “Truce?”

She flicks her hand against my extended one as if it were an annoying gnat. “Uh, no.”

“Come on.” I throw my head back.

“I never give in that easily, Adrian. You should know that by now.”

Without another word, she turns and walks away from me.

I watch her, shamelessly staring at her plump ass, before focusing on the others who do the same as she passes. I want to shove them away, tell them eyes off what’s mine, but that’d probably get me banned from this place.

“I see you and Pretty Girl had a nice little chat,” my abuela says when I return to our table.

For a man who was just practically told to fuck off by a girl, I’m not feeling as discouraged as I had when I tried speaking with her at Adaway and Williams. Something about this town has a feeling of hope, of forgiveness, of happiness. I want to find that here with her.

“You know what would be adorable?” My abuela doesn’t offer me a chance to answer her question. “If you two got a case against each other.”

Adorable? No.

Fun? Probably not.

A way to be around Essie more? Absolutely.

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