Move the Stars (Something in the Way 3)

When I realized Corbin had stopped talking, I asked Lake, “And what do you do? I know you were enrolled in Tisch, the art school, and that’s about it,” I said. “Your parents don’t even know what line of work you’re in.”

“Line of work?” she asked, failing to suppress a laugh. “I work part-time at an animal shelter for minimum wage.”

That didn’t surprise me. Lake had a scar on her arm from trying to extract a scared kitten from a bush, and though I didn’t really see the connection between acting and animals, at least it suited her. “That sounds all right,” I said.

“And the other part of the time, she works the graveyard at this twenty-four-hour Ukrainian diner,” Corbin added.

“Corbin,” Lake muttered under her breath.

It took a moment for that to register. I hadn’t thought her situation could get any worse, but I was wrong. By the way she looked at her lap, Corbin wasn’t kidding, and Lake knew how I’d feel about this. “The graveyard?” I asked, my voice bouncing off the booth.

Lake chewed on her thumbnail. “That’s what we in the industry call the nightshift . . .”

“I know what the goddamn graveyard means.” I took a soothing breath to keep from exploding like her dad, because that had sent her thousands of miles away. “How did this happen?” I asked.

“Well, typically you fill out an application, have an interview with the manager, and—”

“Lake.” I leaned my elbows on the table, leveling her with a glare that made her sigh.

“It’s not that bad,” she said. “It’s only a few avenues from my apartment, so I can walk there.”

“You walk,” I deadpanned. “In the middle of the night?”

“I met her after work the first few times,” Corbin said, “but it’s tough because I’m sometimes pulling twelve-hour days. Good thing I figured out pretty quickly that she’s tougher than she looks.”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Lake said. “I don’t work because it’s convenient. I do it to pay my rent and loans. That’s all there is to it. End of discussion.”

“See what I mean?” Corbin winked at me. “I’ve got an eye on her, though,” he said before leaning in to whisper in her ear.

He had an eye on her. He was staking his claim, and not just with his arm on her shoulder. By the ease of their intimacy, it was clear they’d been together awhile. Maybe since the wedding, even. He’d seen her through the hard times I’d caused, taken her to shows, walked her home from work in the middle of the night . . .

Made love to her.

My stomach churned. I’d never so much as kissed Lake, but I knew one night with her would change everything—it was the reason we’d never had that one night. Was Corbin to Lake what Tiffany was to me? A safe kind of intimacy? Or did he give her more?

Did he give her as much as I could?

The idea of it felt so wrong that my throat closed, and my scalp heated. I wanted to reach across the table and pull him off her. I had to talk myself down before I made a mistake. Maybe she’d needed to get him out of her system to know it wasn’t meant to be. I knew Lake would never wonder about another man if she had me, but maybe she didn’t know that. She didn’t think I was coming back for her. How could she? I hadn’t known I would until recently. As much as I’d fought it, as wrong as I knew it was, I still loved her. As I’d looked around that shitty apartment, I’d seen all the ways I’d fucked up. From day one, I’d wanted the best for her, and if this was it, I knew I could do better. The longer I was in her presence, the more certain I was I had only one option left—tilt the universe until she fell into my arms.

Lake shook her head at her lap in response to whatever Corbin had whispered to her. “No, it’s okay. It’s fine.”

Corbin wanted me out, too. He was right to. Rationalize as I did, I still couldn’t help the flush of heat working its way up my chest as Corbin said something else to make her smile. His fingers drummed against her shoulder. Their relationship was my fault. I had no right to get angry, but I was. I wanted to send him packing but not before I knocked him cold for getting parts of Lake I didn’t even have the pleasure of knowing about. Yet.

The waitress rescued me, dropping our food at the table and forcing Corbin to remove his arm from Lake.

The “number one” Lake had ordered me was a double-decker egg sandwich with bacon, avocado, and sauce. It came with a side of toast and fruit and was probably enough food for two people. In other words, it was perfect. Two bites in, I groaned with satisfaction, and it was only then that Lake stopped watching me and started eating her oatmeal and hash browns.