“Why are you calling, Evie?” he asks, his tone flat.
It would be enough to send chills down my spine if I were on the other line.
“We’re not together anymore,” he responds to her answer, and this time his tone is a little softer. “And it really isn’t your concern.”
She must have seen the video, which means she’s still watching the channel. If I were to take a guess, I’d say she still has feelings for Landon.
I turn away, worried I’m intruding, but there’s nowhere for me to go. It would be rude to leave Landon alone in my living room, wouldn’t it? Well, that’s the excuse I’m going to use so I don’t feel so guilty about eavesdropping.
“It’s Lacey, not Stacey,” he corrects, making me wonder if she messed my name up on purpose. Unable to help myself, I turn back to face him. Our eyes meet, and he holds my gaze. Then, enunciating each word with precision, he says, “I like her. A lot.”
Tingles travel my spine, spreading to my limbs. The way Landon’s looking at me, the way he’s holding my eyes, makes me think that he means it. That maybe he said it for my benefit, not in response to something his ex-girlfriend said.
He ends the call a few moments later, and I look away, feeling a bit overwhelmed. What’s happening here? This pretend relationship is starting to feel like more.
“I’m hungry,” he says out of the blue, sliding the phone back into his pocket.
I look back. “What?”
He offers his hand. “Let’s get hamburgers.”
I stare at his palm. “We just had huge sundaes. How are you hungry?”
“I’m a guy—it’s kind of our thing.” He wiggles his fingers, waiting for me to accept the invitation.
Giving in, I take his hand. There’s something sweet about holding hands, something indescribably fulfilling.
It’s also extremely intimate, in some ways more so than kissing. And it scares me.
But it’s exhilarating too. As Landon leads me from the house, I decide to focus on that and push my doubts aside.
We walk out the door and find Mom and Uncle Mark in the front. She’s leaning into him, and he has his arms wrapped around her back.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, instantly concerned.
“Nothing.” She steps away, and Mark’s arms fall to his sides. “Just a typical Monday. Hi, Landon.”
“Hey, Mrs. Morrison.”
“Cassie is fine,” she says, cracking a smile.
“What happened?” I prod, not about to let her avoid the question.
She rolls her shoulders. “I mixed up spaces and sent a couple to an occupied site. Instead of letting me know, they chose their own. Thirty minutes later, I sent another couple tothatspot, and it created all kinds of chaos.”
“We fixed it,” Mark adds.
I frown. “Did you use my laminated campground chart? Maybe I forgot to mark off the spot. I should probably go through it and double check it for current occupancy.” I’m already tugging away from Landon, heading toward the office.
“I just forgot to look at it,” she says, brushing it off. Then she changes the subject. “Where are you two headed?”
“We’re going out for hamburgers,” Landon says.
I glance in the direction of the office. “I should probably take a quick look?—”
Mom laughs in a frustrated way. “Lacey, it’s fine.”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I finally nod.
