Page 3 of Sparks Fly

“In everything,” I shot back.

The night blurred together in that comfortable way good nights sometimes do. I leaned against the bar while Tiff dramatically reenacted a bad Lilith date she’d been on recently, complete with voices and gestures. Benji nearly choked on his drink laughing.

We drank and danced—well, I only danced because Tiff grabbed my hand and pulled me out there before I could protest, telling me I needed to ‘loosen up.’ I danced anyway, not carefully or politely, just moving and laughing and letting the tequila soften the edges of the week.

At one point, Benji wrapped me in another hug and said, “For the record, this is the best birthday gift.”

“Your standards are low,” I told him steadying myself on his shoulder.

“Oh, extremely,” He agreed with a laugh.

And for the next few hours, I forgot how carefully my life was held together. I forgot about clients and spreadsheets and the endless performance of being the perfect daughter, friends, and version of myself everyone expected me to be, and I just existed.

* * *

2

Addison

I was just about ready to call it a night when I saw her.

She was leaning against a wood beam like she was meant to be there. Like she was poured into the shadows just to look that cool.

Long legs in black jeans, combat boots planted on the floor. A grey tank top that showed off perfect arms, the left one marked by a half-sleeve tattoo I’d noticed immediately. Her skin was this warm, creamy brown that almost glowed beneath the dim bar lights, and her features were soft in a way that made my chest tighten: sharp cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes, full lips.

She was fucking stunning.

One side of her head was shaved while the rest was left long, falling in soft dark brown waves over her shoulder, pastel rainbow colors threaded through the strands. Her gaze moved slowly across the room before landing on me. It wasn’t exactly a smile. It was something curious, amused, and sharp all at once. My breath caught.

“Who is that?” I asked under my breath.

“That’s Sawyer,” Blake said as they followed my gaze. “She works with your brother.”

Jesus she was a welder.

“She’s hot.” The words slipped out before I even realized I’d said them out loud.

“I can’t tell if this is a good idea or a terrible one.” Tiff laughed as she watched me.

I couldn’t stop looking. She was everything I wasn’t. Rough around the edges. Confident without performing. She looked completely unbothered by the room, like it wasn’t asking anything of her.

“Fuck, she looks like trouble,” I said softly.

“Yep,” Tiff replied, taking a slow sip of her drink.

And for the next half-hour, I tried very hard to act like I wasn’t staring. I talked when people talked to me. Laughed when Tiff said something ridiculous. I nodded through one of Benji’s friends telling a story about a fishing trip I had absolutely no interest in. All the while my eyes kept drifting back across the room to her.

Sawyer hadn’t moved much. She leaned against that beam like she owned that patch of shadow, occasionally pushing off to play a round of darts or to talk to whoever came over to her.

She’d smile easily, the kind of smile that looked real and unpolished, and fuck if I didn’t notice. It made something in my chest pull tight. I took another sip of my drink and immediately regretted how warm it made my face feel.

“You’re staring, you know,” Tiff said quietly beside me.

“I am not,” I said, even as my eyes flicked back across the room again.

“You absolutely are!” Tiff laughed, bumping her shoulder into mine. “Just go talk to her.”

“I can’t just walk over there,” I said under my breath.