Gypsy

Chapter 20

·Zara·

It's Friday, and just as I had planned with Adam, me and the guys are nearly to his and Micah's place. Micah offered to stay behind to entertain Andre--since he's too young to get into a bar--and Andre had jumped on that chance. Though I will miss Micah's company, I am glad he has befriended Grimm. He needs that in his life, something to look forward to.

"Are you nervous?" Maddox asks me, disrupting my thoughts. I glance over at him and shrug my shoulders.

"Why would I be?"

"No reason."

I don't like the smile that pulls at one corner of his mouth any more than I like the vague answer he just gave me. I turn my focus back to the walk ahead of us and let out an aggravated breath.

"Whatever it is you're thinking Doc, you might as well stop right now. Don't go making this something it's not."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

I ignore the amusement in his voice. Tonight will just be a group of five people who tolerate each other and nothing more, no matter what he's thinking to the contrary.

When the apartment complex comes into view, it's all we can do to keep pace with Grimm. I smile at the new found bounce in his step, even though it's leading me more quickly to this awkward evening than I'd like it to. But I won't be the one to try to reign it in. When Andre takes the lead, Maddox and I fall in behind him. All too soon we are at Micah's door, and Andre is all but pounding on it in his excitement.

"Ease up, Grimm. You're gonna break the damned thing." Maddox laughs even as he playfully scolds Andre, and I can't keep their collective good mood from affecting my own. 

When the woman I've seen with their group once before opens the door, my smile falters just a little. She's very pretty, I have time to think before she gives us a big grin and ushers us inside.

"We've been waiting for you guys. Adam was afraid you weren't going to show. We tried to tell him, but he's a stubborn cuss."

"I wouldn't know a thing about that," Maddox jokes back, cutting me a sideward glance. 

I refrain from sticking out my tongue or flipping him off, determined to start the night off on the right foot for a change. Let him have his jokes. I have all the time in the world for retaliation. Mollified by that thought, I just smile sweetly back at him. I see the immediate worry in his eyes and have to bite back a laugh. He has every right to worry, but that look alone might be the only payback I need.

"I'm Livia, by the way. I don't think we've been properly introduced yet." She gives us a smile over her shoulder and then turns back as we enter the kitchen.

Micah, Craig, and Adam are all there already, and I feel like we've come late. But as I glance at the clock on the wall I see that we're actually on time, if not a few minutes early.

"Told you she'd show up, Adam," Livia says as we stop just inside the threshold and she moves to pat Adam on his back. His face is several shades of pink as he looks from her to us. He shakes his head.

"I never said I thought you wouldn't come." His eyes flit to me as he says "you", then over to Livia.

"Okay, I was paraphrasing. What you actually said was, 'I hope she doesn't back out'. Is that better?"

"Actually, no. That sounds even worse."

I can't fight the smile tugging at my mouth as Adam's flush deepens and his friends all share a chuckle at his discomfort. Craig gets up from his seat then crosses the room to us. He shakes Maddox's hand, thumps Andre hard on the back, then gathers me up in a big hug. I hold my breath until it's over. When he releases me, I step back from him and cut Adam a look.