Page 32 of Fall Hard

I hesitated for a second more before adding it to the small pile I was holding in my arms.

“You found something?”

I jumped. “God, I need to put a bell on you.” I held up my pick gingerly and Bryn went completely still. “What is it? Is it not daring enough?”

Jamie and Kat walked over and an appreciative look came over Kat’s face as she saw what I was holding up. “Ooh, does it come in black?” She rifled through the rack I nodded to and Jamie looked between Bryn and me with some unreadable expression on her face.

“Maybe you should try it on,” she suggested, glancing at Bryn again, and I frowned.

“That wasn’t part of the deal—”

Bryn had gone pale. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Jamie shrugged, like it didn’t matter to her either way, and that didn’t sting as much as I’d thought it would.

“What’s wrong?” I asked Bryn quietly as we walked toward the checkout.

“Nothing,” she said stiffly and I shifted uneasily.

“Okay.” What else could I say? If she didn’t want to talk to me, I couldn’t force her.

I paid for the bodysuit, the pink set, and the sleep mask and then dutifully followed Kat into a bookstore, giving their romance section a cursory glance but leaving empty handed while Kat stacked four books atop each other.

By the time we made it to the small smoothie place in the food court, Bryn seemed fine. She was smiling and joking and had accumulated a couple of bags of her own. We could probably store some of her stuff in Jamie’s room until she could move into her new place. The thought made me feel a little sad. I’d grown used to having her around. Though I guessed it would be nice to have the living room back when she left, and it wasn’t like we had to stop hanging out just because she wasn’t my roommate anymore.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Hm? Oh, just how quiet it’ll be when you move out.”

“Missing me already, Liv?” The playfulness was back in her expression and I smiled.

“Yeah.”

I didn’t miss the look Kat and Jamie gave each other at my response, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Let them think what they wanted. I glanced at Bryn and saw her masking her surprise at my words, but it couldn’t be that surprising that I liked her company? We hung out all the time, we were friends, and I would miss having my friend in my living room. It was as simple as that really.

“Did you guys drive here?” Better to steer the conversation into safer waters seeing as I still didn’t know what had got to Bryn earlier. “You looked like you came from the parking lot when we walked in.”

“Oh, no. We just came from the other direction because Ry and some of the guys were playing football.”

The sound of his name in her mouth didn’t fill me with instant jealousy, so did that mean exposure therapy was working already so soon? “I thought the season was over?”

“It is—it was just a friendly game.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I nodded anyway and tried not to laugh when Bryn looked at me with the same cluelessness on her face. “I guess we can all walk back together then?” I turned to Kat, who nodded and smiled.

“Yeah I have a shift at the bar so I’ll head back with you guys too.”

The crowds had died down a little as we made our way out of the mall and back toward the park to head home. Even though we’d only walked around a few shops I was glad to be leaving. My social battery had started to drain about half an hour ago.

“So that’s an item ticked off the list.” Bryn swung her bag in her hand as she walked and I nodded. “What should we go for next? Skinny dipping? Driving lessons? Smoke a joint? What was the one about the orga—”

I clamped a hand over her mouth and felt her laugh tickle my fingers.

“Okay, now weneedto know more about this project—” Jamie started as Kat nodded enthusiastically, but then a loud voice had us all jumping.

“Aw, look up sweetheart. Pretty girl like you should always be smiling.”

I stared in confusion at the short guy with the square face who was approaching us from the opposite direction. Was he shouting at us? It looked like the same guy who’d watched Bryn and me so closely earlier when we’d been sitting on the bench, but now he was sans beer can—it was hard to tell though without my glasses on.

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