Page 174 of Wish You Were Mine
Was she happy I’d been there? Was there still hope for us?
Nora chuckled awkwardly. “Is this the first time you guys have spoken since…?”
“Yes,” Lucy said.
“Okay, cool, cool.” Nora’s gaze flicked between us, eyebrow raised. “Should I leave you two alone for a bit?”
Please.
“You better not,” Lucy said quickly. “Can’t have word somehow getting back to my dad about us breaking his rules.”
Right…
“Want me to grab you anything else?” I cleared my throat and slid their waters across the bar. “Food, drinks, whatever. Brody said to put anything you order on his tab.”
I knew them ordering water wasn’t necessarily about saving money, since with their strict diet plans, they were only occasional drinkers. But if they wanted food, I might as well have Brody pay for it... Who was I to stand in the way of that?
The girls exchanged a look I didn’t understand. Then Nora, playing buffer for us again, lifted her glass of water with a nod and said, “We’re good, thanks.”
I was just about to ask the girls how they planned to balance the end of the semester and the National Championships happening around the same time—just for an excuse to keep Lucy here another thirty seconds, but then Brody appeared at her side, sliding a hand to the small of her back. “I’m ready to cash in on that dance you promised me.”
“Right now?” Lucy’s laugh was awkward, her eyes darting to mine like she hated that I was seeing this.
“This song’s too good to pass up.”
She hesitated, then after seeming to take a breath, she nodded and said, “Okay.” She handed her drink to Nora next. “Can you watch this for me?”
Nora took it, and as Brody led Lucy away, she turned back to me with a sigh. “Don’t worry,” she said, like she could read the jealousy I was trying to hide. “I’m pretty sure she only sees him as a friend.”
“Good to know,” I said.
Though, beingpretty surewasn’t the same as being certain.
56
LUCY
“Hey,I’m gonna go grab a tampon from my car real quick,” I told Nora, stepping up to the bathroom sink in The Garden’s restroom after discovering that my period had started. “I’ll be right back.”
“I can grab it for you if you want,” she offered, grabbing a paper towel to dry her hands.
“That’s okay.” I shook my head. “It’s not too heavy yet, so I should be fine to head outside.”
What I didn’t tell her was that I was more than happy for the excuse to slip out for a few minutes—away from the heat, the noise, and Brody.
He’d been a little too touchy on the dance floor for my taste tonight, hands at my waist, hips pressing closer than I wanted, his “Don’t be shy”whisper in my ear every time I tried to put some distance between us.
Yeah, I needed a moment to breathe and regain my bearings.
The night air was cool when I stepped outside, a welcome change from the humid press of bodies inside.
My car was parked toward the back of the lot, away from the streetlights, so I clicked the key fob to make my headlights flash and give me a target to walk toward.
That was when a dark figure stepped beside me out of nowhere.
“Hey, where are you headed?” a familiar voice came from the tall figure.
“Oh, Brody!” I gasped, putting a hand to my chest. “You scared me.”
