Page 235 - It Ends with Us

there’ s ano ther kno ck on the door. Thi s time the door swing s open

witho ut pause and a guy walks in dres sed in wha t looks like a ver y
ex pens ive twee d jacket . There’ s a scar f wrapped around hi s nec k, and
he beg ins to unw ind it as soon as he slams the door behi nd hi m. He
nu dges hi s hea d in my direc tion as he walks toward the kitchen. “Who
are you?”
He’s older tha n the other two, probably in hi s mid-forties .

Atlas defini tel y ha s an int eres ting mix of friend s.
“Thi s is Lily,” Brad says. “She’s marri ed to an assho le and just found
out she ’s preg na nt with the assho le’s baby. Lily, thi s is Jimmy. He’s
pompous and arro gant .”
“Pompous and arro gant are the same thi ng , idiot,” Jimmy says. He
pulls out the cha ir nex t to Darin and nu dges hi s hea d at the cards in
my ha nd s. “Did Atlas plant you here to hu stle us? Wha t kind of

avera ge pers on kno ws ho w to shu ffle cards like tha t?”
I smile and beg in to pass cards out to ea ch of them . “I gues s we’l l
ha ve to play a round to find out.”

• • •

We’re on our thi rd round of bet s when Atlas fina lly walks in. He closes
the door behi nd hi m and looks around at the four of us. Brad said
somet hi ng funny right bef ore Atlas opened the door, so I’m in the

middle of a fit of laught er when Atlas locks ey es with me. He no ds hi s
hea d toward the kitchen and beg ins walking in tha t direc tion.
“Fold,” I say, laying my cards flat on the table as I stand up to follow
hi m. Wh en I get to the kitche n, he’s stand ing where he isn’t visible to
the guys at the table. I walk over to hi m and lea n agains t the count er.
“You want me to ask them to lea ve?”
I sha ke my hea d. “No, don’t do tha t. I’m actually enj oying it. It’s
keep ing my mind off thi ng s.”

He no ds and I can’t hel p but no tice ho w he smel ls like herb s.
Rosem ary, spec ific ally. It makes me wish I could see hi m in action at
hi s res taurant .
“You hu ng ry?” he asks.
I sha ke my hea d. “Not rea lly. I ate some lef tover pasta a couple

ho urs ago.”