Page 17 of Love Me Boldly

“Busy.” I squinted from the bright sun. “I work at a diner in Deer Creek that my aunt owns. It’s near the Crystal Mountain ski slopes, so it’s always busy this time of year.”

I felt, more than saw, the weight of Graham’s gaze on me.

“What?” I asked, glancing at him.

“Nothing.” He faced forward. “Just that’s the first information you’ve given me without me having to ask.”

Man, he made me sound super fun and nice. I stopped walking, and it took him a step to notice.

“What’d I say?” he asked. There was a line between his thick black brows.

“Why are you talking to me?”

“What?” He leaned back and scanned the area around us that was quickly filling with students. His chin dipped in someone’s direction before coming back to mine. That same, confused expression on his face. “What do you mean?”

I shrugged. That was a stupid thing to say. “It’s just…I have a lot going on, and I haven’t had a great year, so if this is just a way to pass the time or have some fun…”

“You’re not,” he said, and it was said with such confidence, such depth, I sucked in a breath. “I saw you at Golden’s and thought you were hot, yeah. But you dish out sass, and I don’t have a lot of people willing to be honest with me, so yeah, I like that too. Is it a crime to get to know you?”

Getting to know me wasn’t a crime, but would he be so flippant if I pulled up an article from last winter? Or the summer after my father’s trial?

“Hey, Graham!”

“Marchese!”

People around us shouted his name as they passed. Some grinned and dipped their chins. More than one group of girls laughed as they said hi to him.

I glanced around. “You know a lot of people.”

Graham chuckled. “We’ve been here four years, you probably know a lot.”

I didn’t. I’d always kept to myself even before, and while I didn’t particularly like being alone, I did like not having gaggles of friends ghosting me and spending their time gossiping about me. In hindsight, I was pretty thankful. At least this way if people gossiped, it wasn’t personal…just ignorant.

We stopped walking once we reached the business building. “Thanks for letting me walk you to class, Holly.”

I shook my head. As if I’d had a choice. “Thanks for stalking me.”

He chuckled. “See you around?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Youcouldhave told me to go away, you know.”

Odd. I hadn’t even considered it.

“Maybe tomorrow I will,” I said, but I was laughing, and somehow I think we both knew I wasn’t serious.

Graham stopped laughing first and took a step closer to me. “Can I tell you something that might scare you?”

“Maybe?”

His smile vanished, and something dark flared in his eyes. “You made me laugh that first night, and I liked it. You’re not the only one who’s had a hard year.”

With that, he turned on his heels and sauntered away, leaving me gaping after him.

I was bumped on the sidewalk and shook my head. Whatever that meant, I doubted he’d tell me if asked. Somehow it seemed he knew how to avoid questions as easily as I did.

And I hadn’t even asked him about his weekend.

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