Page 58 of The Captain

“Why the hell are you laughing?” he asked, but his lips were pulled into a smile as he watched me, like he couldn’t help himself.

“Nothing, I just.” I took a breath and laid my hand over my stomach. “I thought coming together only happened in romance novels.”

He smirked and pulled me closer again, his eyes looking between my own. “When you have someone as talented as me…”

I slapped his chest playfully. “Oh sure.”

He laughed and pulled me close, nuzzling into my neck and holding me like he didn’t want to let go.

I didn’t want him to let me go, either.

EIGHTEEN

Cassie

Present

Smoothing down the light-green sundress, I peer around the other patrons of the restaurant I was at to meet Mick and Victoria for lunch. From what I can see, neither has arrived yet.

I stare at my phone awkwardly, my sunglasses covering my eyes to hide myself just a little more.

It was a beautiful summer day, and I was excited to spend some time with the girls. It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to meet, and I may or may not have been avoiding having any one-on-one time with them.

I was a terrible liar.

Hiding Lincoln hadn’t been easy these past few months, and the only person who knew everything was my mom because I knew she would keep that to herself.

“Cass!”

I turn my head just as Mick reaches me, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. I return the gesture with a smile on my face, happy to be with my best friends again. Vic is right behind her and gives me just as tight of a hug.

“Aren’t you hot?” I ask as we slowly follow Mick into the restaurant, heading to the back patio to eat outside.

Vic looks down at her outfit that I just pointed at and shrugs. “No.” She’s wearing black-on-black everything, her long-sleeve fitted shirt slightly sheer but looks compressing anyway.

“You could pull anything off, I’m convinced,” I tell her, and she chuckles, running a hand through her short brown hair.

“I don’t know about that.”

We settle into the table, the summer breeze sweeping over the table as we sit. Immediately a waiter arrives, and we order our drinks before I feel Mick drilling holes into my face.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She shrugs, her eyes moving to Vic and back to me. “We just haven’t seen you a lot since graduation.”

“I’ve been busy working,” I say, picking up the menu and pretending to look.

“Sure, diners are demanding,” Vic says in her normal sarcastic drawl. “Gotta pick up the burgers, deliver the burgers, pick up the plates, wash the plates.” She tilts her head side to side lazily as she speaks, and I sigh, slumping back in my chair. “So much work.”

“All right,” I say, folding my fingers in my lap. “Working at the diner is honest work, and it does keep me busy.”

“Ignore her.” Mick waves a hand at Victoria. “She’s just pissy.”

“Why are you pissy?”

She narrows her eyes like she’s thinking hard. “Do I have to have one reason? Why can’t it be everything?”

I roll my eyes and chuckle. Then I think about my last shift, when Lincoln took the time to see I was struggling with meeting George, when we sat back in that booth, and he took care of me.

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