Page 115 of Love Sick

I pull an orange from the bag and grab a sharp knife. “How are you feeling, Raven?”

“I’m all right.” She pokes her belly. “I’m running out of room in there.”

“I bought you some ginger ale,” Julian says. “It’s in the fridge.”

Beaming, she slides off the stool. “Thanks!”

Kai mixes the liquor. “Two to one to one, right, Santini?”

“Yeah.”

Pouring the shots into the shaker, Kai chuckles. “No wonder these always fuck us up.”

Drinks made, the four of us move into Julian’s living room. Raven settles into the lounge chair while Kai snags a seat on the floor. Julian and I take the sofa.

When Alesha knocks and lets herself in, Kai points at the kitchen. “We left yours in there.”

She does a little jig as she grabs her drink, then shoves me over to take a seat, forcing me closer to Julian. His hand brushes my bare leg as he scoots. Our eyes lock for a fraction of an instant, and I tear my gaze away, tingling from head to toe.

“Why were you late?” Kai asks.

Alesha shrugs, looking away. “Oh. Traffic. You know. The usual.”

We settle into our familiar camaraderie as the night passes, but nursing a single drink for the evening leaves me sober and strung out when the evening draws to a close. I can’t believe I almost screwed Julian in his kitchen. What was I thinking?

It’s like fucking an ice queen.

Julian’s voice whispers through my thoughts.Not cold.

Oh god. I still have no faith that I can please him with any competence. That was instinct, a culmination of heat and hormones. He liked it well enough if the look on his face was any indication, but what if I can’t do it again?

My phone buzzes, startling me out of my thoughts. The screen flashes a text from Julian.

Julian:Get out of your head, Grace.

I glance at him, but he’s paying attention to the conversation around us. No,participating. Maybe what we’d done hadn’t blown his mind like it had mine.

Of course not. He didn’t come.

Ugh. I’m going to have to remedy that situation soon. What if I freeze? What if he hates it?

Julian:Seriously, Grace. Chill out.

How am I supposed to chill out when my mind spins in a dozen directions, all ways I could screw this up?

Raven lets out a huge yawn and pats her stomach. “I’m ready for bed. I’ll see you all next week.”

Kai helps her out of the chair. She waves goodbye.

Alesha smiles at the closed door. “She’s such a cute preggo.”

“Two kids under five during residency.” Kai shudders. “No thanks.”

Everyone but me laughs.

“Gracey?”

I startle and meet Kai’s gaze. It darts to Julian, then back to me.

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