Page 67 of Can’t Say No

He waves Abby over for the check, thumb drawing little circles on my leg as he settles up. It’s the smallest movement, but I feel it everywhere.

“Ready?” The low timbre of his voice is electric.

All I can do is nod as Connor leads me through the restaurant and back out to the waiting lion’s den of paparazzi.

He pauses at the door to turn to face me, mischief replaced with a solemn expression. “I’m not going to kiss you in front of them. I know your team wants PDA and all that, but I don’t want to share you like that. Is that okay?”

I nod, quickly trying to swallow down the emotion caught in my throat. “Thank you.”

He smiles at that, eyes shining. “Anything for you, Lanie Lou.”

25

CONNOR

The flash of cameras sends us away from Gustoso, like lightning in a summer storm ushering us back home, and the feel of Delaney’s hand laced through mine is just as electric. It took all of my self-control to not drive her straight to my place when I picked her up for our date. She showed up in a skimpy little top and jeans that were damn near painted on, and a sweet, innocent smile, acting like she has no clue what she’s doing to me.

Delaney starts humming a melody I don’t recognize, getting louder and drumming a little beat on my dash with her free hand as we pull out of the parking lot.

“Something new you’re working on?” I ask, turning down Main Street to cross town back to our houses.

Her cheeks turn a soft pink, but the small smile playing on her lips is more pride than embarrassment. “Yeah, just something that’s been rolling around in my head all week. Nothing special.”

“Everything you write is special. Sing it for me.”

Delaney hesitates for a moment, then clears her throat and shimmies a little in her seat, straightening up. “Okay, but you can’t say anything about it because it’s still really just an idea of a song, not even a song yet.”

I nod and wait. Delaney needs time. I think that’s why she gets so flustered with her dad. He rushes and quips and says too much too fast. But my Lanie is meticulous and moves on her own time. I’m happy to wait as long as she needs.

And I’m rewarded for that patience with the sweetest sound filling the space of my small car.

“And I’d pick this forever from a field of wildflowers. Just you and me, under the stars for hours. A seed we planted long ago, the brightest colors, can’t say no.”

I realize I haven’t heard her like this, just the two of us, since we were kids. She used to make up songs about anything and everything as we ran wild in the orchard. She sang loud, silly songs with reckless abandon. I was always envious of that freedom, the way she could let go and just be.

And the lyrics aren’t lost on me. Neither is the longing laced in her voice.

“It’s really good, Lanie,” I say, a little breathier than intended.

She bites her lip, bracing for impact. “You think so? My writing still isn’t where I’d like it to be. I feel like my lyrics are all a little too on the nose, you know? I’m sure I’ll never actually record this one.”

I watch as she retreats inward, no hint of the carefree, loud girl she was when we were kids. A shell of her former self. It’s a dagger to the chest to see her shy away from all that she is, all that she can be.

“Delaney, you’re a really talented song writer. Always have been. I can’t wait to hear more,” I tell her sincerely.

She smiles so brightly at that, it cracks my heart wide open. I’d do anything to get more of that smile. Anything to see more of that confident woman I’ve loved for so long.

“Come home with me,” I blurt out.

In the stillness of the car, the implication of those four words is tangible. Once we cross that line, everything will change, forever. If this mess of a thing between us came to a crashing end right now, we could explain it away. It was a PR relationship, it was all fake anyway. But if we cross that line, there will be no more pretending.

Delaney squeezes my hand. “Okay.”

It’s barely a whisper, but the word echoes like a scream in my head.

Okay means she feels the electricity between us.

Okay means she’s willing to risk our friendship.