Page 2 of All the Missing Pieces

“You show no mercy.”

Avery grinned back at me. “Damn straight.”

An arm slid along my shoulders as lips grazed my temple. “Hey, baby.”

I tilted my head back to take in the familiar face. Amber eyes framed with dark lashes. Light-brown hair kissed with lighter strands thanks to all his time in the sun playing tennis. I smiled up at Jared, leaning in to meet his mouth.

The kiss was all warmth and comfort. Easy and no pressure. I let it deepen, hoping for the spark ofmore. Hoping for fire to catch. It didn’t come.

Jared pulled back, kissing the tip of my nose before glancing at my sister. “Hey, Avs. This is a surprise.”

“Granting my sister her one final college wish.”

Jared laughed. “Definite heaven points for that.”

Avery’s lips twitched. “I see Carly. I’m going to go say hi.”

“Remember,” I called as she walked away. “No drinks from random men, just say no to drugs, and no candy from strangers in vans.”

She flipped me off and went right on walking toward her teammate.

Jared chuckled, the sound skating over me in a familiar vibration. But there was no pleasant shiver, no hint ofmore. “You really do work miracles getting her to one of these things,” he said.

“I feel like we should probably follow her. Who knows what sort of trouble she could get into?”

He pulled me against his chest, arms wrapping around me. “Or you could stay here with me.”

I tipped my head back to take in his beautiful face. “I could.”

I let the buzz of people and music pull me in, the heat of the fire and the excitement of tomorrow. Jared led me toward a group of people—a few guys he roomed with from the tennis team and their girlfriends—I’d become friends with over the past year and a half.

We chatted about graduation plans and trips some of them had planned for after the ceremony. Easy, light, but with the undercurrent of possibility.

Jared’s lips ghosted against my ear. “Have you thought about New York?”

My stomach bottomed out. Jared’s life had been planned out for him since the moment his dad found out he was a boy, which meant majoring in finance and going to work for his father’s hedge fund in the city. Even tennis was on a list of appropriate choices for hobbies, the others being golf and racquetball.

At school, Jared was a bit more free. Hiking with me or taking trips to the lake. But every time he was in his father’s presence, that changed. He colored within the lines.

“New York isn’t for me.” I said the words softly, trying to ease into them, as if that would keep them from stinging.

Jared’s jaw hardened, that narrow muscle along it fluttering. “You don’t know unless you try.”

“I know.” The two words lost a bit of the softness. They weren’t harsh, but they were firm.

His eyes flashed with a flicker of heat, temper. “Then you’re sure about me too, aren’t you?”

“Jer, don’t do this tonight.”

His back teeth ground together. “And when exactly am I supposed to have this conversation? As you’re bailing out of town right after graduation? I’ve been trying to talk to you about this for months.”

A tightness settled in my chest, squeezing my lungs. “I just wanted us to enjoy these past few weeks. Not get into anything too heavy.”

Jared stared at me for a long moment, jaw working back and forth. “Andheavymeans you’re done. Which you’ve probably known for months. But instead of growing the fuck up and telling me that, you just avoided it. Thanks for that.”

“Jer—” I reached for him, but he ducked out of my grasp.

“At least you don’t have to have the conversation now. We’re done.” He took off, moving away from the party and toward the path that would lead to the road where everyone parked. All I could do was stare after him.

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