Page 130 of Bottle Shock
It’s the same kind of rush Gavin used to chase—adventure for the thrill of not knowing what comes next.
I get it.
I understand it.
And maybe that’s part of why I’ve fallen for him.
We’re people who’ve been chasing the same feeling, just in different ways.
But maybe the chase is over.
Maybe we’ve found it in each other.
When I think of walking away from Gavin—leaving what we have behind—I’m not sure I’m capable of it. It’s new, and we did it all backwards, but it’s also special. Precious.
The more time we spend together, the more I can’t imagine a life without him.
Sometimes dreams change. They evolve. They make room for more than one thing. More than one version of you.
I just have one loose end I need to tie up before I can actually move forward.
And I’ll deal with that. Eventually.
My smile is polite as Lily races back toward me.
“You have a good day now,” I tell Kathleen sweetly. I nudge Lily. “Say bye to Miss Kathleen.”
Lily waves with a smile. “Bye, Miss Kathleen.”
Just as we start for the hallway toward the exit, I hear my name being called.
“Excuse me!—sorry, sorry—Scottie, right?”
I turn.
It’s the same woman from earlier, the one whose daughter had the hot-pink shoes. She’s slightly out of breath from chasing us down.
“My girl is obsessed with your stepdaughter’s tights,” she says, laughing a little. “Do you happen to know where they’re from?”
Lily adjusts her backpack. “My dad bought them from the dance store in Badger Canyon.”
“Oh thank God,” she sighs dramatically. “That’s easy.”
We say our goodbyes and continue walking out to my car.
“Did that lady say I was your stepdaughter?” Lily asks, confused.
Shit.
I was really hoping she didn’t notice that part.
So I play dumb, because I can’t lie to this little girl, but I can’t tell her the truth either.
“Yeah, super weird, huh? Let’s go get a treat before we go home, okay?”
Here’s hoping the treat is distraction enough.
We stop for sugar cookies from the bakery before making the drive home.
