Page 134 of Sparks Fly

Monday night felt deceptively normal. We met after work the way we had started doing more often lately.

Dinner was simple. shared plates and a glass of wine each while Sawyer told me about something ridiculous that had happened at the shop. I tried to listen, but I kept getting distracted by the way her mouth moved when she talked.

When we finished eating, neither of us felt like going home. It was a gorgeous fall evening, and neither one of them wanted to waste it.

“Record store?” Sawyer asked, nodding toward the block ahead.

I slipped my hands into my jacket pockets. “That sounds perfect.”

We walked the few blocks together, our fingers brushing until they laced automatically. I didn’t think about it. I didn’t scan the sidewalk or look over my shoulder the way I usually did. This part of the neighborhood felt like Sawyer’s world. Safe and separate from the rest of mine.

The bell above the door chimed when we stepped inside.

Sawyer headed straight for the rock section while I wandered toward the new arrivals, flipping through records without really looking at them.

I was halfway through a bin when I heard my name.

“Addie?”

My stomach dropped.

I turned slowly.

Lilly stood near the front of the store, her hair swept up and her cheeks pink from the evening air. Brad was beside her holding a stack of records like he had found buried treasure.

“What are you doing here?” Lilly asked, smiling.

“Just browsing.” I gestured toward the bins. “We had dinner nearby. What about you?”

Lilly laughed and nudged Brad. “Best man gift shopping. We ate down the street, so he talked me into stopping.”

Of course he did.

My mind scrambled to catch up. Suddenly, I noticed everything. Sawyer beside me. How close we were standing. The way her hand reached for mine.

I pulled mine away and put my hands on my hips.

The movement was instinctive.

Immediate.

Cowardly.

The second I did it, I wanted to take it back.

Sawyer didn’t react, but I felt the shift beside me. The small space that opened between us.

Lilly’s eyes moved from me to Sawyer. “I don’t think we’ve met.” She smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Lilly. Addie’s best friend.”

Sawyer gave her an easy smile. “Nice to meet you.”

I could have said it then.

This is Sawyer. My girlfriend.

Instead, I panicked.

“Sorry. This is Sawyer,” I said, heat crawling up my neck. “She’s a friend. She works with my brother.”