Page 35 of Back To You

She wants me to argue.

She wants me to push while she pulls.

But there’s only so much pushing someone can do.

She thinks I’m a dog? God knows she has me on the tightest leash.

I look her right in the eyes. “Woof.”

I watch her eyes slightly widen before they roll, and then her teeth sink into her bottom lip as if she’s trying to hold back a smile.

Maybe it’s the adrenaline from the tattoo, or the high I feel from seeing her, but I feel brave enough to grab her by the arm and pull her in for a hug. “Last year of vet school, Annie girl.” She smells more like roses today, and I smile to myself at the thought. “I’m proud of you.” It takes a second, but her arms wrap around my waist, and she relaxes in my hold as I press my lips to the top of her head.

When we pull away, she’s wearing a soft smile, and I instantly feel undeserving of it.

It’s too beautiful.

I expect her to cover it up with a roll of the eyes again, or maybe a shake of the head, but it doesn’t go anywhere. Instead, her grin widens as she jokes. “Exactly what I wanted tonight, twomorepeople to beat me at bowling.” She turns to look at Eddie, his arm around Mia whose eyes are fully on Annie and me.

“You’re notthatbad,” Drew chimes in, her eyes also zoned in us. “I’m just watching tonight, so I’ll give you all the pointers.”

I let out a chuckle, my own lips forming a grin. I look back at Annie. “Come on, honey. Just pretend it’s my face you're aiming for, you’ll hit a strike every time.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she answers, reaching up to pat my cheek, before turning around to grab herself a bowling ball.

***

Annie really does suck at bowling, but at least she’s having fun. By the last game, I think she had a total of 75 points between the three games we played.

By her fourth turn in our first game, she already discovered all of theincorrectways she could throw a ball down the lane. I offered to ask one of the workers to put up bumpers for her, but she responded with the middle finger.

“Do youtryto be that bad?” Eddie asks Annie as the four of us head outside. Drew left sometime during the second game, no doubt tired and itching to get home to Emmett and the baby.

“Yes, Ed. That’s exactly what I do. I’m secretly hiding myinsanebowling skills from all of you. I’m actually a professional bowler,” Annie answers, her voice oozing with sarcasm that makes all of us laugh.

We walk to the corner of the parking lot where both Eddie’s truck and Annie’s car are parked, lucky that the girls didn’t notice Eddie’s truck when they got here, and say our goodbyes to Eddie and Mia.

“Give me your keys,” I say to Annie as we walk towards her car.

“I only had one drink at dinner,” she counters.

“Just let me drive you home.”

“Yeah, Ann,” Mia yells to us, “let him drive you home!” Her voice takes on a teasing tone, and I can see the tips of Annie’s exposed ears are pink.

“Whatever,” she sighs, handing me her car keys.

“Love you!” Mia shouts as Eddie closes her door for her, shaking his head with a smile as he waves to us.

We get into Annie’s car, and we drive home in a comfortable silence, the only sound coming from the song playing, “Underscore” by Definitely Maybe, and the rush of the wind coming in through the open windows. It isn’t until we are a few minutes from home that Annie says, “Have you talked to your dad?”

It isn’t what I thought she would say, but I answer anyway. “Not yet.”

She nods her head, but she doesn’t say anything else.

And neither do I.

A few moments pass before she speaks again. “Do you regret not taking the scholarship?”

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