Page 71 of The Replay

I grunt, more of a reflex than an actual response. I cross my arms tighter over my chest, my fingers digging into my sides. Felix doesn’t let it go, though. He tilts his head, giving me that look that says he knows exactly what’s going on inside my head.

Pretty sure you don’t, cabrón.

“Go talk to her,” Felix says, nodding toward Adriana, his voice low but insistent. “Smooth things over. You’ve been weird all day.”

“I’m not being weird,” I mutter, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, my boots scraping softly against the tile floor. My hands itch to do something—anything—but I shove them deep into my pockets instead, trying to shake off the restlessness that’s been gnawing at me since I saw her smiling at that damn phone.

Felix raises an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. “Yeah, you are. And it’s pretty obvious why.”

Across the kitchen, Adriana lets out a soft laugh at something on her phone, the sound cutting through the easy vibe of the room and settling right in my chest like a weight.

“It’s fine,” I grind out the words.

Felix follows my gaze and smirks.

“Right. Sure, bro. Keep telling yourself that.”

Atticus slides off the counter, his wide grin in place as he joins in. “Come on, Julio. What’s the deal between you two, anyway? You’ve been eyeing her all afternoon like she’s gonna vanish or something. And don’t think I didn’t notice that shit at the barbeque. That was … intense.” He pops a piece of cake into his mouth, waiting for my reaction.

I roll my eyes, but it’s weak, half-assed. I can’t even muster the energy to pretend it doesn’t get to me. “There’s no deal,” I say, my voice rough. “We’re just ...”

The words stick in my throat, refusing to come out. I don’t know what we are. We’re … not friends. Definitely not friends. And god knows I don’t want to be her friend. My voice drops, and the frustration seeps through. “Shit is complicated. Okay?”

“Complicated, huh?” Deacon joins in, leaning back against the counter, cracking open a beer with one swift motion. “Sounds like a load of bullshit, man.”

“Agreed,” Felix laughs, stuffing another bite of cake into his mouth.

“Fuck you,” I mutter, snatching the beer out of Deacon’s hand before he can take a sip.

“Hey!”

“You’re underage,” I remind him.

Atticus snickers, “Sucks to be you.”

“You’re not twenty-one yet either,” Deacon grumbles, but the corners of his mouth lift.

“Fucking freshman,” Felix teases, taking the beer from me and taking a long sip. The tension in the room cracks a little with the banter, but it’s still there, hovering just beneath the surface.

Felix leans back against the fridge, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “So, you guys excited about having a chick in the house? I know we all told Gabe it was cool, but let’s be real—having Cecilia move in? That’s gonna be a big fucking adjustment.”

Atticus shrugs, a wide grin spreading across his face as he grabs another forkful of cake. “Having her here is gonna be interesting, but Cecilia’s cool. Plus, it’ll be nice to have someone live here who actually picks up after themselves for once.”

Deacon nods in agreement. “It’ll be different. Like, she’s not just any girl. She’s Gabriel’s girl. That changes the dynamic.”

Atticus grins, tossing an arm around Deacon’s shoulder, pulling him close. “We handled your needy ass just fine whenyou moved in. Cecilia will be a piece of cake compared to you, bro.”

“Fuck off,” Deacon says, shoving him off, though his smile never falters. “Not the same, man. I’m just saying, it’ll be ... different.”

The room fills with the sound of laughter and light-hearted teasing, the mood lifting around me. But my focus keeps drifting back to Adriana. She’s still smiling at her phone, completely tuned out from everything happening around her. Felix nudges me again, this time softer, his eyes scanning my face like he’s trying to read my thoughts.

“Talk to her,” he says, voice low but firm. “Or you’re just gonna let this shit fester.”

I shake my head, a cold knot forming in my stomach. “It’s not that simple.”

“Then make it simple,” Felix shrugs, taking another bite of cake like this isn’t slowly killing me from the inside out. “You’re the one letting it hang in the air, man. That’s why it feels weird.”

I glance at Adriana again, my chest tightening, the weight of all the unsaid shit between us pressing down hard. She glances up briefly, catching my eye, but it’s only for a split second. Just long enough to make my pulse spike before she looks back down, her smile fading like she never even saw me.

Maybe Felix is right. Maybe I’m just letting this thing between us twist into something bigger. Something messier than they need to be.

But when I look at her, all I feel is ...complicated.

And I have no idea how to untangle it.