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“If you don’t mind.” Blake hasn’t moved yet, so I turn to him and explain that I left my car back at Mrs. T’s house.
He clears his throat and looks away, suddenly seeming more awkward than usual. “Oh, well, you should have mentioned that before. I could have given you a ride.”
I smile politely. “Thanks, but I figured Mrs. T would be going home, anyway, right?”
She smirks at me. “Since you mentioned it, I was thinking about stopping at the cemetery to visit Jude before I head back. I’m feeling a little sentimental, I suppose. But only if Blake’s not too busy to drop you off?”
“Uh, no, not at all,” he replies quickly, then sticks his hands in his pockets and shuffles his feet.
I glance back at Mrs. T. “Okay, then.”
“Perfect,” she returns, pursing her lips at me and bouncing her eyebrows suggestively.
I shake my head and roll my eyes, trying not to laugh at her as I walk away.
“Thanks for offering to bring me back,” I say as we approach Blake’s truck.
“No worries. I’ve got nothing but time.”
I climb into the passenger seat, pondering his strange demeanor. “Blake,” I begin. “Don’t take this the wrong way. But, um … are youokay?”
He stiffens and hesitates with his finger on the ignition button. “Yeah. I’m good. It’s just been a long week.”
“Right. I’m sorry for putting you on the spot, but you seem a little less ‘Blake’ than usual.”
He huffs, a sardonic smile on his face. “I’m not sure what that even means, but I guess it’s nice of you to ask, all the same.”
“Even though we’re not exactly friends, given our history and the fact that you’ve been abnormally bearable lately, the least I can do is offer a listening ear.”
His expression changes, and he twists his lips to the side as he seems to consider my proposition. “I can’t imagine you don’t have anything better to do than listen to me gripe about my privileged life.”
I laugh shortly. “Sadly, I do not,” I mumble, more to myself than anything.
We’re both quiet for a while before he speaks up. “Loren, would you want to grab dinner or something?”
“Dinner? With you? Like, right now?”
He lifts a shoulder. “We’re already dressed, and we both have to eat, right?”
I think about his offer and where it might be coming from. I’m not dumb enough to think that he’s asking me out on a date, but I’m still wary of his motives.
“Unless you’re not comfortable hanging out, just the two of us,” he adds.
I glance over at him. He’s watching the road, but his expression says that he’s nervous, that he’s actually hopeful I’ll say yes. I assume he’s just feeling extra lonely, especially today, and in that case, I don’t have the heart to refuse him.
“What did you have in mind?”
CHAPTER 5
Blake
THREE WEEKS AGO (CONTINUED)
“Anything you want.We could grab some takeout and go back to my place.”
I cough awkwardly, hoping my offer hasn’t scared her away. I’m so desperate for her company that I’d do just about anything to convince her to stay around, at least for the next few hours.
“And you don’t think that would be weird?” she ventures after a second. “The two of us just hanging out and breaking bread after all these years of being enemies?” But she’s smiling as she says it. In fact, she’s so cute that my stomach flutters a little, and I’m not used to a woman giving me anything close to butterflies. I chalk it up to the emotional rollercoaster this day has been after watching my baby brother sign his life away.
