AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Queasiness claims me the moment the words tumble from my lips.
Brant swallows, facing forward for a moment before looking back to me. “Why?”
Yes, June, why?
“Because…you haven’t gone out with anyone since Wendy. You must be lonely, right?”
He fidgets in his seat. “I’m fine. I keep busy.”
“Well, you deserve to have fun and be happy. You’re young, and good-hearted, and sexy, and…” I stutter over my words, wondering why I chose one of them.
Sexy.
I gulp.
Sexy?
He blinks at me because I’ve clearly gone mad. His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as his gaze dips to my mouth for the briefest second. “You think I’m sexy?”
I flush with embarrassment, shoving the key into the ignition and turning it until the vehicle roars to life. “I just meant…she thinks you are. Surely.”
“Why would you assume that?”
Flustered, all I can think to do is twist the rearview mirror in his direction until he’s staring at his own reflection. Then I put the car into drive and take off, wishing I could leave my humiliation behind to choke on the exhaust fumes.
A burst of laughter escapes him as he clips his seat belt into place beside me. I’m certain he’s about to probe and tease me, but all he does is prop a foot up on the dashboard and change the subject. “So, did you decide if you’re moving in with Gen or not?” he asks as I turn on the radio, allowing an ambient song to drown out my lingering shame. “Might be good for you to get out of your parents’ place. Get a taste of independence, you know?”
I spare him a quick glance as we pull out onto the main road. We had talked about my desire to become more independent at the beach this past week as we sprawled out on beach blankets and counted the clouds. “I’m not sure if now is the right time. I don’t have a steady paycheck.”
“Smart. You’re still young.”
“Young and goalless, sure.”
“You could start dancing again.” Brant removes his attention from the passenger window and looks over at me. “I wish you would.”
My chest aches with nostalgia. With disappointment. With regret for giving up on something I cherished so dearly and worked so hard for.
Swallowing, I nod. “Maybe one day. My asthma makes it tricky.”
“A lot of people with asthma have labor-intensive jobs. You just need to be careful. Aware.”
“I suppose.”
“Think about it, Junebug. Please.”
The sound of my special nickname sends a tickle to my heart. Brant doesn’t say it as often as he used to, and I’m confident it’s because of our reckless kiss. He associates the name with innocence, and what happened between us was anything but.
Lord, that kiss.
It’s been a year since it happened, but it still haunts me.
Still clings.
Brant hasn’t brought it up since his text messages to me shortly after he moved out, and I haven’t brought it up either. I think that was the point—we were going to move past it. Acknowledge that it happened, and put it behind us.
And we have.
Things are better now. Good, even.
