Page 65 of A Duet of Darkness and Dreams

Wow, okay, I guess we really are doing honesty. My heart begins to tap dance in my chest, but stops dead at the resigned look on his face. “But?”

“But I can’t do a relationship right now. I honestly don’t know if I ever can. And while I’d like nothing more than to throw you over my shoulder, take you back to that motel, and worship that gorgeous body like you deserve,” he says, and I think every cell in my body is burning up under his gaze. “I also know that’s all I can offer you. I can’t be your boyfriend. I can’t be someone who falls in love with you.”

If anyone ever looked shocked before, it’s me. I’m taken aback by his candor, and while I know it shouldn’t hurt me, I can’t help but feel my chest aching with the barrier he’s so clearly defining.

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry,” he says looking down at his plate. “If you were any other girl, I would’ve had my way with you that first night we met, then promptly ditched you. I’m not proud of it,” he rushes to add when he sees my mouth drop open. “But Becks is like my sister and you’re her only friend at Stoneman. I couldn’t risk you hating me and never speaking to her again. Or never speaking tomeagain because . . . I like talking to you.”

I blink.

“And last night when I saw you dancing with that guy—well, something snapped. It was wrong of me. I don’t own you.”

“I . . . don’t know what to say.”

“Say we can be friends. Real friends.”

Realizing my mouth is still hanging open, I take another sip of my coffee. “Friends. Yeah . . . I mean, of course. But that also means you can’t behave like that again when a guy wants to dance with me.”

His spine straightens and he swallows hard. “I know.”

“And, if I can ask a favor?”

“Sure.”

I take a deep breath. “If I’m around, could you . . . not flaunt the girls you plan to hook up with and ditch?”

“Shit, it sounds so terrible when you say it like that,” he says with an embarrassed smile.

“Well,” I say, taking a bite of my bacon, “it is the behavior of a total skeev.”

He narrows his eyes at me, but I can’t help the smile that pulls across my face. Soon enough he’s smiling too, then we’re laughing, and while it’s not the outcome I was hoping for, I can’t help but feel alittlehappy. After all, if I can’t have him romantically, we can still be in each other’s lives. Only now, there’s a set boundary. A clear line in the sand. No more flirtation or lingering looks. No more darkened staircases where I’m unsure of what might happen. And I won’t kid myself into thinking I can change his mind.

Besides, we really won’t be seeing much more of each other. I’m not writing articles about his band anymore, and other than this impromptu trip to Vegas, it’s not like we hang out. I can keep my distance and move on from this schoolgirl crush.

“Thank you,” I say finally. “For being honest.”

He scoops more egg onto his toast. “No prob—”

“Good morning, gorgeous.” A voice vibrates in my ear and Joel flops down next to me. “And Dave.”

Dave flips him off and, turning my attention to the others, I try to smile and focus on the new arrivals.

“You boys seem like you had a good night,” I force myself tosay, focusing on their tired yet smiling faces and ignoring the way Dave’s rejection burns.

“Made off like bandits at the strip club,” Joel says. “Did you know you can gamble in there? So, I’m two songs deep with this gorgeous redhead, her huge—”

“Joel,” Dave interrupts, “is this really a conversation for Isabella, or is it one you can tell me about in the car on the ride home?”

Joel holds up his hands. “Right, yeah, sorry.”

“Not exactly a story to tell over breakfast,” Key adds with an odd look on his face.

Dave makes a gagging noise and I smile. “Anyone know when the happy couple will appear out of their fancy honeymoon suite?” Joel asks.

“Probably not for a while,” Key says. “They need to get their fill of each other before we head out on tour.”

I turn to look at Key. “What?”

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