Page 9 of Can’t Say No

My old nickname spills out of his mouth quick and easy, and I know he says it to get under my skin.

And damn it, it does.

4

CONNOR

The students were buzzing all day. Delaney James, in the flesh, at their school. The faculty was wired over it, too. I thought I was gonna have to throw elbows to keep half of my coworkers from trying to take selfies with her, despite Rutledge’s strict orders to the contrary.

And, fuck, you really can’t blame them. I’m buzzing too.

She still has that same magnetism that propelled her to superstardom as a teen. The same magnetism I latched onto as a kid, the one that made us best friends. She was the fiery one, while I was always more timid, preferring a quiet moment with a book over any of the wild plans Delaney cooked up. Putting on shows, making up songs, befriending everyone, and of course, stirring up a little trouble along the way… that girl has always been nonstop.

My life got considerably calmer when she left, and a hell of a lot harder.

Turns out I’d needed some of her fire to get through the last decade on my own.

The camera in Rutledge’s hand beeps, bringing me back to the present. She turns it every which way, trying to silence it. “This darn thing, always running out of battery. Let me take a few more photos on my phone.”

Delaney, still pressed to my side with an impressively fake smile plastered on, sighs, and I don’t miss the droop in her shoulders, the sparkle in her eyes dimming a little.

I pluck the phone from our principal, with a bit more force than necessary. “Actually I think we’re done here.”

The bite in my voice takes her off guard, and Rutledge stumbles back a step. The Connor Majors she knows is reliable, compliant, easy going. I’m pretty sure she’s never heard me say the word no. But there’s always been something about Delaney that makes me feel a little feral.

As much as I love riling her up, and fuck have I missed doing it, I also know when Delaney is at her limit. It’s time to get her out of here.

“I’m sure you got lots of good stuff on the camera,” I say over my shoulder, already hauling Delaney out the door and down the hall, which is bursting with students eager to get one more look at our resident starlet. Using my size to my advantage, I navigate us out the side door with relative ease.

“I don’t need you to save me,” Delaney huffs, short legs working overtime to keep pace with me as we cross the parking lot to our cars. “Don’t need a personal body guard or whatever.”

I can’t help but laugh.

Eight years. It’s been eight years since I’ve seen her, and Delaney James is still as wily as ever.

“Tease me all you want, but I’m just looking out for you.”

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know Delaney. We grew up next door to each other, sharing the fence line between my family’s apple orchard and her family’s estate. Even though we didn’t go to the same school we stayed close. Movie nights at her house, bonfires with my older siblings at our farm, and countless trips up to Crescent Lake. All my favorite memories have her in them. We were always together, until we weren’t. She left, I stayed, and it’s as simple as that. Some friendships aren’t meant to last forever.

At least that’s the lie I’ve been repeating for years now.

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

In the parking spot beside me, Delaney slams her hands on the steering wheel of her SUV before trying the ignition again. Her car sputters but doesn’t turn over.

“Dead battery. Pop the hood and I’ll jump it.” Circling to my trunk, I reach for my jumper cables only to come up empty-handed.

“Shit. I lent my cables to a buddy and haven’t gotten them back yet.”

From her car I hear a few more four letter words and can’t help but laugh.

“Delaney, it’s no big deal. I’ll take you home and sort out your car later. Easy fix.”

She tries the ignition one more time. “Fuck. Okay, fine.” Swinging her legs out of the SUV she reiterates, “I still don’t need you to save me.” She exhales, gathers up her stuff and marches to my car.

I open my passenger side door without another word, and she slides in with an eye roll and a mumble that’s somewhere between fuck you and thank you.

I choose to hear the second one.