Page 74 of Love so Hot

"Finished?"I ask, taking my last bite from my plate.

"Yes," Larry says, pushing back from the table. We both look at the table full of dirty dishes and then at each other. I grab my wine glass, and he grabs his, and we stand in unspoken agreement.

We're avoiding the chore of dirty dishes, at least for now. With our wine in hand, we walk out to the living room. The last rays of the summer sun dip below the horizon, casting a beautiful golden glow over the entire valley.

"Thanks for dinner," Larry says as he sinks into the plush sofa.

"No problem," I say, taking a seat opposite him. The fading sunlight dances across Larry’s face, softening his usual sharp edges. He looks lost in thought, like he's got more on his mind than our culinary experiment, and I can't stop myself from prying. "Everything okay?"

He smiles and nods. "I was just thinking that it's nice... having company."

"Even if it's just fake-dating company?" I tease, nudging the tension away with a smirk.

"Especially then," he counters, surprising me with his earnestness.

Maybe it's the wine that's giving me courage, but I decide to risk Larry's ire. "You know, you're not the person I thought you would be."

"Oh, yeah?" Larry asks, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, for starters, you did decide to drop my charges, plus you bought me an entirely new wardrobe—twice—and took me on a pretty amazing date."

"I sound pretty amazing," Larry chuckles.

I roll my eyes. "What I'm saying is that you're a far cry from the hot-headed corporate tycoon the media paints you as. You went beyond just buying me things. You took the time to consider what made me happy and put in the effort to make those things a reality for me.”

"Yeah, well, when you had the sort of childhood I had, you learn to hide your true self."

I furrow my brow. "What does that mean?"

"Every time I got settled somewhere, it felt like the rug was pulled out from under me," he says, his voice low and steady. "You build walls. To protect yourself. If they don't know the real you, they can't reject the real you. That's how I justified it as a kid. But it never really stops the feeling that you don't quite fit anywhere."

"Like you're always the new kid, just trying to catch up?" My question is more of an echo of his sentiment than anything else.

"Exactly." A half-smile touches his lips, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "It's like living your life on the periphery. Always looking in, never being part of the picture."

Silence settles for a moment, heavy with unspoken understanding. I take a sip of my wine, letting the warmthspread through me, wishing it could do the same for the chill that seems to have crept into the room with his memories.

"How'd you meet them?" I risk the question.

"Who?"

"The guys? Roman, Seb, Victor?"

"Oh." He looks out the window and his smile is genuine, full of fond exasperation. "Well, Seb I met at a summer camp. We were both too competitive for our own good. Teamed up for some silly game and ended up winning the whole thing. Couldn't get rid of him after that."

I chuckle, imagining Larry and Seb as kids, plotting their victory with the kind of seriousness only children can muster. "Sounds like he made quite the impression."

"Then Roman." The mood shifts again, softer this time, respectful. "We lived in the same group home for a while. He really took me under his wing when I showed up there. I was quiet at the time. He showed me around. Helped me learn the ropes of the new place."

"Really? I can't imagine you as the quiet type," I say, teasingly nudging his foot with mine.

"I know. It was a weird time." A real laugh escapes him, and it surprises a smile out of me too.

"Then there was that one winter," Larry starts, a far-off look in his hazel eyes as he stares out the window. "The foster care system decided it'd be a grand idea to take us ice skating—like a scene right out of some feel-good movie."

I pull my legs up onto the couch, wrapping my arms around them as I watch him swirl the wine in his glass. His voice is softer now, almost reflective.

"There weren't enough skates to go around, but Roman managed to get us a pair. We were all taking turns and then Roman spotted Victor. He was just sitting there alone, watching everyone from the side of the pond."