Page 31 of The Interception
“Or the fact that she looks just like him,” Leo adds, teasing me.
“Or that I told your sister,” Layne teases.
“Well, Sarah Beth didn’t mention that,” I say.
The Sharks jersey tee she wore the other day makes so much more sense now. It’s a shirt she wears to support herbrother.But that also means she probably knows guys on his team…and maybe has interest in some of them…no. Nope, this jealous streak is not a good look on me, so I push it down in favor of talking to her instead.
Only, Lucas leans in even closer to whisper something to her, and that beast in my stomach roars forward without permission. Without prompting, I reach for Layne’s chair seat and drag her, chair and all, closer to me. So close, in fact, it silences the entire table. The screeching of the chair over the linoleum makes quite a scene, but I can’t bring myself to care. The guys pause everything to see what happens next. Does Lucas say something about my move, or keep silent? It’s not hard to see I’ve just staked my claim…though I don’t have anythingtoclaim, but I’m certainly not sitting by while Lucas tries to do the same.
I settle my arm around her shoulders, solidifying my stance. And Lucas backs down like a deflated balloon.
Layne makes eye contact with me, and for a moment I think maybe she wants me to bemorepossessive of her. She gravitates toward me, leans in as if I should pull her even closer. I lick my lips, and her eyes dart down for a blink before she looks away and clears her throat. Everyone resumes their conversations and eating, but something between Layne and me has changed. I feel it, and I’m not sure it’s a good thing. I might have messed up. By the look Leo shoots me, I might be in some kind of trouble. But I don’t know.
I just…don’t know.
“Anyone up for the trivia game tonight?” Leo asks.
“I don’t know. The last time we played, I ended up detailing your truck,” I say to Leo. The guy has sports in his blood, but I’m weighing my options. Any reason to keep Layne in my orbit seems like a good idea, even if he does kick my butt with trivia.
“Aw, come on. I’ll be your partner,” Layne says, nudging me with her shoulder. “I’m pretty good at sports, you know. Baseball, soccer, and hockey are my faves. I don’t know much about other sports, but I think I can hold my own in a trivia game.”
“Soccer?” I ask.
“Yeah, Andrew’s best friend plays pro soccer. We all grew up together. I played for a while, but I prefer watching sports to playing them.” She shrugs a little.
“It’s settled then. Layne, Ender, and me against you all.” Leo bursts Lucas’s bubble, but I’m glad. I’m not in the mood to get into a petty fight with my teammate over a woman who probably doesn’t want anything to do withanyof us.
“We really are a good team," I say, and slow when we reach the front door of the house Layne’s borrowing.
She digs for the keys in her purse while I hold her mini-trophy. “We are. I thought that quarterback guy was going to cry at the end there.”
“I don’t think he anticipated you being quitethatgood with football.” My grin takes over my whole face. My cheeks ache, but this woman is just too phenomenal and it makes me smile.
“I’m a little surprised, if I’m honest. I guess watching with my father must have made a deeper impression on me than I realized.”
The door is unlocked and it’s late, but she doesn’t attempt to go inside or end our conversation. I know I should let her get some rest, but I don’t want this night to end. For the first time in a long time, things feel…normal.I like the way I feel when I’m around Layne, not to mention how she lights up when she sees me. No one has ever been so delighted that I’m in a room before.
She inhales and lets it out slowly. “Well,” she draws out, “I guess I should head inside.”
I fight to keep from shoving my hands in my pockets if only so I can…I don’t know…I’m so confused by the way this woman makes me feel, I don’t even know what to do with my hands. “Yeah, probably.”
She still makes no move to go inside, and the way she looks up at me has me wondering if I’m supposed to make a move. Man, I want to make a move. I want to kiss her and see if it’s really as phenomenal as I’ve made it out to be in my mind. I want to tell her that her smile makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. That her gentle encouragement has helped me more than any therapist could. And the quiet way she justknowsGod is in control without question makes me want to strengthen my own faith.
She’s not afraid of anything.
My hands, still unsure what to do with themselves, reach for her. She slips into my arms without hesitation and settles against my chest. “I had a good time tonight. I think Sarah Beth did, too.” While wrapped in my arms she looks up at me to gauge my thoughts on the matter.
I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do. My throat is dry and tight, my chest is heavy, and I’m pretty sure this is not how a first kiss is supposed to feel. Iwantto kiss her, but there’s still something holding me back. It feels like guilt or shame. I can’t pinpoint it, but it’s too strong to ignore, so I squeeze her tight and release her.
“Night, Layne.”
She releases the faintest gasp, but cuts it off fast and says, “Night, Ender,” before heading inside and closing the door.
Chapter Fifteen
Ender
“Why didn’t you kissher then?” Leo asks. It’s our first day off in weeks, and Leo needed my help working on one of his cars. I hadn’t anticipated it turning into a chat about my partner and my newfound interest in her. Okay, maybe not newfound but still out of the blue for me and my track record.
