Page 45 of Double Fault

Ah. The makeup makes sense now. So does her annoyance when she discovered her dad was tagging along.

She has a crush on the ice cream boy.

I can’t help but smile as I watch her. We girls are the same. It doesn’t matter that he’s twice her age and completely unaware of her existence. She’s just a little girl crushing on the cute older boy. It’s a rite of passage.

While we eat our ice cream at one of the little bistro tables, she darts surreptitious looks at the teen. When he heads into the back, her shoulders fall in defeat.

“Did you learn anything new today?” Noah asks, garnering her attention.

“No.”

“Maddie.” I laugh. “You little liar.”

Noah shakes his head, his brown eyes glimmering with amusement.

She takes a gigantic bite of her cake batter ice cream with sprinkles and immediately smacks a hand to her forehead. “Ugh. Brain freeze.”

Spoon pointed at her, Noah says, “That’s what you get for shoving so much in your mouth at once.”

“But it’ssogood. How can I not?”

“She has a point.” I take a bite of my waffle cone, though mine is much more moderate. “This is pretty good ice cream.”

“Doesn’t count as ice cream if it’s plain old vanilla,” he counters, arching a dark brow.

“Vanilla is a popular flavor, you psycho.”

He gives his own ice cream a long lick. “Chocolate mudslide is better.”

“Offering me yours?”

Eyes lowering to my mouth, he holds his cone out. “Wanna lick?”

I shouldn’t do it. I know I shouldn’t. But I lean forward and lick the creamy goodness slowly, just like he did.

Are we flirting?

Shit, I think we are.

Heart racing, I lean back. “It’s pretty good,” I say, forcing my tone to remain even. “Want to try mine?”

Clearing his throat, he shifts closer to Maddie—and farther from me. “No, I’m okay.”

Maddie, oblivious to the tension building between us, is focused on the guy who’s returned and is wiping the counter down.

We fall into an awkward silence then, Noah and I avoiding eye contact at all costs.

With every bite of ice cream, I berate myself.Why did you do that? You’re such an idiot, Sabrina!

When we get back to the house, it’s time for me to head home, so I hug Maddie and mutter a farewell to Noah.

I’m buckled into my beloved Toyota, ready to make my escape, when he appears at my window.

“What?” I lower the window, wishing I could pretend I didn’t notice him and take off.

He taps the roof of my car. “This thing is going to fall apart.”

“It’s all I’ve got.” I shrug with a little more attitude than is strictly necessary, willing my cheeks not to heat with embarrassment. “We can’t all afford Range Rovers.”

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