Page 91 of Forever Wild
“How long are you staying?” Piper asks me. I feel all eyes on me. Sometimes I still feel like the teenager they’re all interrogating.
“I’m heading back tonight.”
“Wait. Really?” Tyler turns to me. “I thought you’d at least stay the night.”
I’m not sure if he’s disappointed because he wanted me to stay or if he’s just trying to let me know I have a place to stay if I want. It’s weird now that I don’t live here. I miss my little yellow house. Tyler and Piper rented it out to new students.
“I can’t. I have plans.”
“Ooooh. Big date?” Piper asks.
It might be my imagination, but it seems like Jack tenses at the question.
I am definitely not looking to get blasted about my dating life in front of all these happy couples so I stand. “And that’s my cue to leave.”
Piper stands and I hug her.
“I feel like I barely got to see you,” she whines.
“I know, but it was so good to catch up. Even if just for a few minutes.”
“Are you coming back for the home opener?” Tyler asks.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” I scan the room, waving to everyone as I step to the front door.
Bridget gets up from where she was sitting on Ash’s lap. “I want to walk you out.”
A weird sensation of sadness and relief hits me as we step outside. Bridget links her arm through mine and doesn’t speak until we’re a good ten feet away from the house.
“Well, that was tense.” Her brows lift.
“Really?” I ask. “I couldn’t tell if it was in my head or not.”
“I don’t think anyone else noticed.” She gives me a small smile. “He stared at you the whole time.”
“He’s probably just worried I’ll say something to Ty.”
“Do you really have to go?”
“I don’t want to get in the way of their happy birthday celebrations.”
“You aren’t in the way,” she insists. “But if you feel that way, come stay the night with me and Ash.”
I laugh lightly, trying to imagine that. The few times that Ash and Bridget stayed the night at our place instead of them crashing at his place, I had to wear headphones to bed to drown out the screams and headboard banging against the wall. “It’s okay. Some people from work are going out so maybe I’ll hit up the bars with them.”
She looks at me like she wants to call bullshit. I haven’t felt like going out much since I got to Briar Lake, but maybe it’s time to change that.
I wrap my arms around her neck. “I love you. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
She’s frowning when I pull away. “I miss you already.”
My heart squeezes. “Me too.”
The front door opens and closes. Both of our attention go to the man stepping out. He has his keys in hand, but when he sees me still standing in the driveway, his steps slow. He eyes me warily as he comes closer.
“Want me to tell him to get lost?” Bridget asks.
I consider it but avoiding him now won’t make him disappear from my life. Even if that’s what I wanted.
