Page 33 of Under My Skin

“Why are you here, Cameron?” she whispers back.

“I’m here to rescue you from your date.”

She lifts her eyes now, and if looks could kill, I’d definitely be dead. “Howbrotherlyof you. But I don’t need rescuing.”

Before I can explain just howunbrotherlyI want to be with her, Brian rushes back in and zeroes in on Lizzie.

“I’m sorry I have to do this, Lizzie, but there’s an emergency call at the station. They’re short-staffed tonight, so I need to go. Can you find a way home?” Brian asks.

Relief and disappointment wash over Lizzie’s face, but she composes herself quickly with a smile. “No problem, Brian. I’ll be fine, don’t worry. Be safe.”

Lizzie barely gets her last word out before Brian is already racing out the door. No goodbye hug or errant farewell called over his shoulder. She swallows and then gets up in a rush to let the hostess know that their table is no longer needed.

“I’ll see you around,” she mutters to me and walks toward the door.

What the hell does she think she’s doing?

“Lizzie, wait up. I’ll take you home.”

“I’m good, Cameron. I’ll call an Uber or my parents. Your saving is not required.”

Shit. Did I completely fuck this up?

I run to the bar and find Reid talking to the bartender. “I gotta go but dinner’s on me,” I say quickly while handing him some cash.

“Go get your girl.”

I clap him on the shoulder and run outside only to see Lizzie walking across the street toward a bench under a tree. Brantley Falls is relatively safe with a low crime rate, and the downtown streets aren’t deserted this early, but I’m not taking any chances with her safety, so I run after her to ensure she isn’t by herself any longer than necessary.

“Lizzie, let me take you home. Don’t be stubborn.”

“I’m not being stubborn, Cameron. And I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. I’m not your responsibility. Besides, I’m notyourdate tonight.” I love this feisty side of her, so I crack a smile. “Why are you smiling? Are you laughing at me? Is this whole situation justsocomical to you?”

“No, Lizzie. I’m not laughing at you.”

“Right. As if getting ditched by a guy that I didn’t even want to go out with in the first place wasn’t bad enough, my super-hot neighbor, who I’ve had a crush on for forever, got to witness the whole thing.” She is waving her hands around frantically, and I can tell she’s just getting started on her rant. “Oh wait, that’s the same guy who says he’s like abig brotherto me. I mean, being friend-zoned is just what every girl out here is longing for. Isn’t that just freaking awesome?”

She finishes talking and then lets out a big breath like she was running out of air. But the only part of her speech I can focus on is where she admitted she still has a crush on me and how angry she is at thinking I’ve friend-zoned her.

She has no idea.

I need to get Lizzie in the car ASAP to address everything she just said.

“Please let me drive you home, Lizzie?” I ask calmly.

“Why? So you can rescue me since that’s what you came out for? To take pity on little Lizzie and save her from her bad date?”

She crosses her arms over her chest, making it clear that she’s beyond annoyed with this situation. And since I only have so much self-control when it comes to her, I can’t help but stare at the way her gesture pushes her breasts up.

“Are you staring at my boobs, Cameron?” she asks with complete surprise and shock.

“I can’t help it, Lizzie. They’re pretty fucking fantastic. Everything about you is.”

She doesn’t have a reply to that, so we just stay there in silence until she bites her lip and takes a deep breath before finally speaking. “I would really appreciate a ride home, Cameron. I don’t want to call my parents or wait for an Uber that will take forty minutes to be here.”

“I would like nothing more.”

“Right,” she says unconvincingly.

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