Page 70 of Good Directions

That’s the whole reason we’re doing this…

Seven words is all it takes to sucker punch me straight in the gut. A reminder that maybe all this is to her is an agreement. A superficial thing. A step toward her dream job.

That maybe all I am is a vehicle to face her fear.

But then I catch her eyes. Those soft brown irises that are currently pleading with me to not be an idiot. The same ones that last night showed me how much they trusted me as she screamed my name, riding my hand to an earth-shattering orgasm.

Have I caught feelings? Yup. But I refuse to believe they’re one-sided.

“I promise I won’t forget. Cross my heart,” I tell her, tracing an X over my chest.

“Thank you.”

The lab door slams open, startling us both before we can say anything else. A swirling tornado of chaotic energy blusters in, announcing the arrival of only one possible person.

“Tisabelle!” I exclaim.

Temperance Isabelle Pullman—or Tizzy as she prefers to be called—is the definition of free spirit. The true opposite of my best friend, a bubbly sprite of a woman with wild strawberry blonde waves, Tizzy more than keeps all of us on our toes. She’s also perfect for Cary.

“Hey! Cary in?”

“Haven’t seen him.”

I glance back at Sawyer, and she shakes her head. Pulling out my phone, I check my texts, thinking maybe I missed something. Nothing there either.

“Was just trying to surprise him. I can try the fields,” she says. “But, oh! Since I’m here, egg salad or chicken Caesar wraps for Saturday night?”

“Saturday night?” I ask.

“Town movie night?” she replies, throwing a look to Sawyer like “duh!”

I look over, but Sawyer seems just as lost as I am.

“Cary said the four of us were going together. And I figured I’d whip us up something rather than eating pizza.”

“The Goonies,” Sawyer says, the realization hitting her.

“Right, that’s what they are showing this year. It’s nice that it’s not a cartoon this time.”

“Yeah, I think I might have accidentally agreed to that,” she whispers, looking at me.

I laugh, my heart squeezing. Because what she has no idea of is that I had already agreed to a date with these two, and Cary was simply confirming a time and place. I’ll let her off the hook eventually, but for now, I’m going to let her think she’s to blame.

“Surprise us, Tizzy,” I say.

“Sounds good.” She turns on her heel, blustering out with as much energy as she came in. “See you then!”

I saunter over to Sawyer, wrapping an arm around her.

“Looks like I get to show my girl off to the town this weekend.”