Page 15 of Surrender
We saw each other when we wanted.
We made plans. We had fun. We kept things light.
It wasn’t a whirlwind, can’t-breathe-without-you kind of love story.
But it wasn’t complicated.
Easy.
Itwasn’tdresses that cost more than college tuition or feeling like I had to prove myself to people I’d never met and would likely never see again.
And it sure ashellwasn’t lying in bed wondering whether my boyfriend was telling the truth about his ex-girlfriend’s whereabouts.
Which was why I’d made a phone call late last night.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
“One guess at who that will be,” Parker announced with a heavy sigh before stepping out of the bathroom and heading to the front door. “Are you sure you don’t want to just stay here and borrow one of Mom’s cars to get out and about?”
I stood and followed him out into the living room. My muscles protested against every movement, and I had to fight to keep the painful grimace off my face as I walked. “Lucy really needs my help right now with classes at her studio,” I lied, guilt clogging my throat for a minute. “It’s just a few days. We’ve spent longer apart than that.”
While Lucy and I had taken on New York City together as teens, Lucy had moved back to Detroit a little over a year ago and had purchased our old dance teacher’s studio. Since she’d freshened up the place and put her own stamp on it, it had completely taken off, which worked perfectly for me because I had dragged her into a carefully crafted plan to get some space between Parker and me for a few days.
“Look who it is,” Parker announced, less than welcomingly, as he pushed open the front door and stepped to the side.
Lucy appeared in the doorway, her arms held out wide, spirit fingers engaged. Her grin was so wide it was a miracle her face didn’t crack.
Even though we spoke every day, I hadn’t seen her in months and while I assumed I’d be so excited to see her that I’d leap over the coach and launch myself into her arms, instead, my lip dropped and before I could stop them, the tears burst free, spilling down my cheeks like a broken dam.
Parker’s eyes widened. “Babe, what the hell…”
“Oh, this is just how it always is,” Lucy covered smoothly, giving him a quick pat on the back. “Honestly, she’s just overwhelmed at seeing my beautiful face, as usual. Don’t worry.”
Parker folded his laptop closed and slipped it into his work bag. He continued to eye me suspiciously, even as Lucy shuffled him toward the open door, desperately trying to get him out so she could investigate my random outburst of emotion.
“You sure you’re okay?” he questioned, pausing in the doorway. I was thankful in that moment that the work he had todo today was far too important for him to be late for, let alone miss, so he couldn’t linger.
“Positive,” I answered, a little too enthusiastically, swiping at the tears and flashing him the best fake smile I could communicate in that brief moment. “Go, go!” I told him, waving him off.
He hesitated for half a second before finally stepping out and closing the door behind him, and the moment he did, I let out a strangled groan and stumbled toward the couch. Lucy watched on warily, her expression transforming fromeverything’s finetoshould I call an ambulance?
“All right, spill it,” she finally demanded, hands on her hips as she crossed the small living room. “What’s with the dramatics? And why are you not hugging me and mumbling about how much you missed me?”
I shifted forward, wincing as I sat on the edge of the couch. Every muscle screamed in protest with any slight movement, and I just knew the blister patches I’d covered my feet in were going to kill me to change.
“I’m fine,” I insisted, not wanting to have to admit the truth, but the wince that followed totally betrayed me.
“He been hitting you?”
My mouth dropped open. “What? No!”
She inched closer, narrowing her eyes as she studied me from head to toe.
“Luce, come on. I—”
“I thought you hadn’t been dancingen pointe,” she noted as she eyed my torn-up feet.
I scrunched up my nose, knowing she wasn’t going to let it go. Which meant I was going to have to admit that I’d done something fucking stupid.
