Page 12 of Secrets, Scandals and Baby Shoes

He glanced down at her. She was looking over the lake, her expression thoughtful. Given the October chill, she was wearing a winter coat, a scarf, and a light pink knit headband that covered her ears. No matter what she wore, though, Elliot found her gorgeous. More importantly, the chemistry he felt with her was unparalleled. When they kissed, or when he simply held her hand, he felt both passionate and at ease in a way he’d never known was possible.

Lucy was special enough that telling Dominic about their relationship would be worth it. After all, they were already in a relationship. They were together almost every day and kissed often, though they hadn’t actually defined what they were to each other. Elliot could explain to Dominic how much he cared about Lucy and how different she was from anyone he’d ever known. He could reassure Dominic that he would never hurt her.

Elliot knew he should say some of that to Lucy, too. The last few weeks with her had been some of the best of his life. He’d neverfelt such a connection with anyone. Yet he was hesitant to tell her the depth of how he felt. After all, he wasn’t sure how Lucy felt about him. Worse, he cared about her enough that a deep conversation could easily hurt him, which had never been the case with any of his flings.

In a few weeks, Elliot and his friends would go on their annual Thanksgiving break beach trip. This year, Lucy was coming, too. Although her roommate, Karin, was also invited, Karin was going home to meet her boyfriend and family. Elliot resolved that he would sit down with Lucy after the trip and share how he felt. If she felt the same way, they’d make a plan about how to tell Dominic about their relationship.

“What are you thinking about?” Lucy asked, cutting through Elliot’s train of thought. “You look so serious.”

“It’s nothing serious.” Elliot grinned at her. “I’m just thinking about how much fun we have together.”

“We do have a lot of fun.” Lucy smiled. “How about this bench for our picnic?”

“Excellent.” They sat, sipping their drinks and eating their bagels, while Lucy talked about the upcoming midterms.

“I’ve been studying for weeks, as you know, but I’m still worried. It’s my first semester, and I want to do well.” She looked up at Elliot with those big blue eyes. “Do you have any advice?”

“Honestly, you could stop studying right now and you’d still do great,” Elliot told her. “You’re very smart.”

“Not in statistics.” Lucy wrinkled her nose. “I work so hard, and I’m doing okay, but it’s definitely a struggle. Math always has been.”

“How about we have another look at your stats midterm material this evening?” Elliot suggested. “If you answer correctly, I’ll give you a reward.”

“You can watchBig Hero 6with me,” Lucy suggested.

Elliot chuckled. “Sorry, but animated movies are a big no for me. I never liked them, even as a kid. How about a kiss instead?”

“I suppose,” Lucy said, giving an exaggerated sigh. “If you insist.” But her grin gave away that she was more than happy with her suggested reward. Elliot’s heart warmed, and he slung his arm around Lucy’s shoulders, hugging her close against his side. He’d never felt this way about any of his flings.

It wasn’t worth living in the shadows forever. Elliot would choose the right time and place, and then he would tell Lucy what she meant to him and inform Dominic about their relationship. It might not be easy, but it would be worth it.

CHAPTER 5

LUCY

Lucy stood outside her dorm, shivering slightly in the frosty November air, as Elliot pulled up in the front circle in his trusty red car. This time, he wasn’t alone. Sunil, Mike, and Dominic were already in the car. Lucy opened the trunk, tossed her duffel bag inside, and then got into the back seat next to her brother. He nudged her shoulder.

“Are you excited?”

“So excited.” Lucy fastened her seatbelt and sat back as Elliot navigated the car out of the circle. “I really feel like one of the guys.” Elliot caught her eye in the rearview mirror, and they shared a tiny smile before looking away. Lucy’s heart soared.

Every year, Dominic and his friends rented a beach house on the cold Atlantic coast for Thanksgiving weekend. In past years, Lucy had always been sad that Dominic didn’t come home for Thanksgiving, but this year, she was thrilled that she’d been invited to join them. She couldn’t wait to stroll along the beach, eat Chinese takeout for Thanksgiving dinner, and hopefully spend a few moments alone with Elliot.

Lucy caught Dominic looking at her and smiled at him. Hopefully, he hadn’t noticed her and Elliot exchanging a glance in the rearview mirror. It was hard keeping such a big secret from Dominic, but Lucy didn’t have any other choice. After all, as much as she might wish things were different, she and Elliot were just casual. He’d never made any indication that he wanted something serious or lasting, so, in all likelihood, their relationship would end next spring when Elliot graduated. And she didn’t. It didn’t seem worth risking Elliot’s relationship with Dominic, or Lucy’s, for something that was only temporary.

Even if their relationship was also the best thing in Lucy’s life so far. She’d never imagined her first love would be so amazing. Each moment with Elliot felt like a lifetime, especially when he was holding her in his arms and kissing her, or when they strolled through the campus hand in hand under the stars and talked for hours. Their relationship was only temporary, but Lucy would remember it forever.

“It’s a three-hour drive,” Dominic informed Lucy. “So, we’ll get there just before lunch. There’s a diner that should be open where we can eat.”

“Cool.” Lucy beamed. “I’ve been told that this road trip has a great soundtrack.”

“You’re right about that.” Sunil, who was sitting in the front seat, hooked his phone up to the car’s stereo system, and moments later, an upbeat eighties rock song came over the speakers. The guys started dancing and, to Lucy’s delight, even singing along. Dominic grooved the most for the first song, but after that, he sat back and looked out the window with a thoughtful expression, even though his friends kept dancing.

Lucy’s stomach pinched. She and Elliot had been careful, but maybe Dominic was quiet because he’d noticed something between them.

With a little shake of her head, Lucy banished the thought. Her brother might be tired or carsick or thinking about finals or any one of a hundred things other than suspicious of her and Elliot. She couldn’t let herself worry about Dominic finding out about them.

The road trip took them through the rolling green hills and beautiful fall colors of Massachusetts, where their college was, then up the coast for another hour or so. They stopped outside a small, picturesque town to check into their digs for the week, which was a rented house with two bedrooms and a modest kitchen. The guys immediately broke into a spirited disagreement over who should get the bedrooms, until it was decided that Lucy would get her own while Dominic and Mike would share the other with Sunil on the rollaway bed — much to his distaste. Elliot grudgingly agreed to sleep on the sofa, though he winked at Lucy when everyone had their backs turned. Lucy’s heart fluttered at his look.

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