Page 28 of The Fall Risk

God.

He was perfect.

The pool changed my brain chemistry. I couldn’t believe he’d done it. The most thoughtful, sweet Valentine’s Day—not for Valentine’s Day—gift I’d ever received. It was all I could do not to crawl over to him on my hands and knees and kiss him right there where he sat.

The carefree me of two years ago would have.

The me of today didn’t move.

“You want another drink?” he asked.

“No. I’ll take that orange, though.”

He leaned over to the little mimosa station he’d set up next to the pool and grabbed it.

“Can you peel it for me?” I asked.

“Sure. So I was thinking about your balcony,” he said, working the skin off. “What about fake plants?”

“That’s what I’m reduced to now?” I said, watching him peel the orange, a little sad.

“We could wrap the razor wire in plastic vines and fairy lights—unless you’re going for prison yard chic. If so, you nailed it.”

I laughed a little.

He finished the orange and handed it to me.

“Thanks,” I said. Then I sat there, staring at it bleakly.

He eyed me. “Everything okay?”

“Just something Izzy said about oranges.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He picked up his drink. “Gabe and Izzy dropped off the pool for me this morning,” he said. “Izzy asked him for some money. He tried to give it to her, and she got upset.”

I scoffed.

“What?”

“Gabe is clearing hurdles he doesn’t even know exist,” I said.

I handed half the orange back to him.

He popped a piece in his mouth. “And what about you?” he asked. “Any hurdles I can clear?”

No. They were way too high.

My cell phone rang. Izzy.

“Speaking of the devil.” I leaned over and picked it up. “Hey—”

“Where are you?”

“On the landing.”