Page 7 of Enemies to Lovers

A red tinge rushes Val’s cheeks. “Nice to meet you.” They shake hands, and I shove my fists into my pockets. Great, now Joy’s got a face to match to all the stories I’ve told her. “Do you work with Logan?”

“Not in the same department, but I know of him,” Joy answers.

“Oh, most people know the IT guy.”

IT, interesting. Ransom and him would get along. If the asshole hadn’t gotten sick, they could’ve had a great time, and I’d be at home with my dog.

“I’m lucky enough I haven’t needed his expertise,” Joy says with a laugh. I glance at Logan and wonder for the millionth time if Val’s been pulling my leg about them being twins. For the first few years of grade school, I just thought they carpooled or something. He was always hanging around her. I felt like an idiot when I called him her bodyguard. She giggled—this high-pitched sound that pinched my nerves and did funny things to my gut.

“Silly, Miles,” she said. “Iguardhim.”

We were eight.

Logan shakes off Russ and slithers through the crowd to us. Val nods at me. “Logan, you remember Miles?”

A flash of recognition at either my name or my face crosses his expression, and he gives Val a smile that she hits him over, but I don’t know why.

“Long time since graduation,” he says. We shake hands, and an awkward silence that lasts a lifetime falls over us. Val looks at me, her round cheeks rosy, her long hair drifting over her shoulder. She smells like vanilla, and there’s that ease around her I can’t believe she has in a room full of people we don’t really know. On a test day.

It’s hell on earth.

“So when is this race thing?” Val turns to Logan. Of course she’s the one to break the silence. She’s never been good at keeping her mouth shut. “I have a spa day to win.”

“Probably right before the white elephant,” Joy answers. “And don’t set your hopes on it. I win every year.”

“I think it’s time for a new victor, then.” Val grins my way, but I don’t return it. A rock has settled in my gut. Joy takes one look at my face and interprets it instantly.

“Totally left the white elephants in the car.” Joy dives for the keys in her pocket. “There’s one for you, too.”

“I’ll get them,” I blurt, snatching the keys from her grasp. Anything to get me some fresh air.

“I’ll go with you,” Val volunteers. I’m not a complete asshole, so I don’t tell her no. I do make a face only Joy can see.

Val has to walk two steps for every one of mine to match my stride, and I count hers instead as we make our way to the parking lot.

“Small world,” she says, her breath fogging into the cold night air.

“Yep.”

“Wanna hear something amazing?”

Seventeen steps since coming outside, fifty-two total. “Sure.”

“I’m getting a dog tomorrow!”

I lose count on her steps, and I slide a little on the icy sidewalk. Val’s wanted a dog since before I can remember, and it was the one thing I had that she didn’t. Not that I got a dog just to spite her, but I’m surprised it’s taken her this long.

“Thatisamazing,” I say, no sarcasm included—at least not intentional sarcasm. “What breed?”

“Oh, he’s a pit mix.” She whips her phone out, and after a few taps, she hands it over. There, on the Humane Society’s page, is little Brewster. A stab of something that feels like jealousy, but also a bit like pride, hits me, and I’m not sure what to do with it.

“Logan says we can pick him up tomorrow.” Val’s practically dancing next to me. “My only payment was coming to this little shindig.”

It takes me a second to compute what she’s implying—probably the stress of it being a testing day. And when it does compute, there’s a dig to my heart that I don’t find unpleasant, but I don’t like it either. “So you’re here to help your brother?” Wonder why he needs help. Is he like Joy? Just wants a friend here? Or something deeper?

No… I don’t care.

“And to get the dog.” She laughs to herself as I hand her phone back. “Mostly for the dog.”

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