Page 102 of The Route to You

Perfect.

The front door opened, and Kyle’s grip tightened slightly on his knee as Sloan stepped out, no portfolio this time. She’d swapped it for a small crossbody bag, her hair pulled back loosely at the nape of her neck like she hadn’t meant to make it look good.

He looked away before she caught him staring.

“Sorry,” she said as she approached the car. “Didn’t mean to hold everyone up.”

“You’re good,” Anna said brightly, already shifting to make room. “Come sit with me.”

Sloan slid in beside her, and the space felt smaller immediately. Why am I letting this bother me? It’s not like Anna, and I have anything going on.

Or Sloan and me, for that matter.

Jeremy started the engine, the air-conditioning feeling like relief not because of the oppressive heat, but because Kyle wasn’t sure he was breathing quite right.

“So, Sloan,” Jeremy said, glancing in the rearview mirror as he pulled out of the driveway, “new job, huh?”

Sloan let out a small breath and shrugged slightly. “Yeah. It’s just part-time at a paint and sip for now, but it’s a start.”

“That’s great.” Anna adjusted her seat belt. “What kind of art do you do?”

“Mostly acrylics and oils,” Sloan said. “Some mixed media. I love watercolors, too, though.”

“You’ll have to show me sometime. Stick figures are about the extent of my artistic talent.” Anna outlined a circle with her finger in the air, as though she were drawing one.

“Yeah,” Sloan said after a beat. “Maybe.”

Kyle winced. He’d forgotten, maybe because it’d been years since he really spent any time with Sloan out in public, and maybe because she was different around him, how shy she was. She’d always let Kyle take the lead in conversations, content to blend into the background.

But that meant that she relied on extroverted people to control the conversation.

He drew a breath, trying to think of anything to say that might make this car ride easier, and then Anna asked, “So how do you and Kyle know each other?”

Jeremy snorted softly under his breath.

Kyle shot him a look. Don’t.

“High school,” Kyle said quickly.

Sloan added at the same time, “We used to date.”

Of course.

Jeremy’s grin spread slowly.

“High school,” he repeated, because apparently that was the version he was committing to. “A long time ago.”

In the back seat, Anna shifted slightly. “Oh,” she said, glancing between them. “I didn’t realize.”

“Yeah.” Sloan’s tone was even, but she gave Kyle a curious look. “It was a while ago.”

A beat of silence settled in the car, thicker this time.

Jeremy tapped his fingers lightly against the steering wheel, clearly enjoying Kyle’s discomfort.

Anna leaned forward slightly between the seats. “So are you still⁠—”

“No,” Kyle said, a little too quickly.