Page 78 of The Lilac River

“You’d like to think you’re special, but no.”

That made both of us chuckle, a sound that seemed to brighten the room.

For just a second, it was like no time had passed at all. Like we were still those two kids who thought the world couldn’t touch us.

But reality came creeping back.

I wasn’t sitting across from the girl I used to love. I was sitting across from my daughter’s teacher.

“So,” Lily said, straightening a little. “Bertie.”

She launched into everything she’d noticed about Bertie over the past few weeks, and my chest swelled with pride at every word.

“She’s amazing,” Lily said warmly fifteen minutes later. “But maybe now you know, you could get her to read to you a little more. Reward her with extra bedtime minutes if she does.”

I pointed a finger. “Good idea. She’ll do anything to stay up.”

Smiling, Lily handed me a sheet of paper. “If you can just sign to confirm you attended?”

As she handed me the pen, our fingers brushed, and electricity crackled through me.

Her body tensed. Her hand went to the back of her neck. My own skin burned.

Since Lily had come back, I’d been blinded by anger. But under that anger had always been the pull. The magnet that wouldn’t shut the hell up.

Images assaulted me: her head tipped back in laughter. Her soft moans in the dark. The sleepy way she used to smile at me in the morning.

I forced my eyes down and signed my name.

“How’s the creek?” she asked, her voice thin.

“Still waiting on test results. But we know what chemical it was.”

“And... does that help find out who dumped it?” She picked up a paperclip, nervously straightening it out.

“Maybe.” I folded my hands, trying not to watch her mouth as she bit her lip.

We chatted a little longer, phones, Bertie, growing up too fast, and for a few minutes it felt like old times.

It was dangerous. Comfortable. Deadly.

Because if the ice melted completely around my heart, I didn’t know if it could survive another freeze.

The thought made me abruptly push my chair back.

“I should go. Got work to do.”

“Oh. Yes, sure.” Lily blinked up at me.

I rose to leave, throwing one last glance at the curve of her neck. Fuck, she was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“I’ll get Bertie to read to me tonight,” I promised.

“Good.” She smiled, the kind of smile that could heal wounds if I let it.

Then she held up her hand. “Oh, one more thing. The lavender farm field trip?”

I cursed under my breath. "Yeah, sure. Next Friday?"

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