Page 36 of The Summer Plans

Me: Well, we have one bed.

Bella: And a pair of exes who are both single and need a connection.

Lucy: Second chance romance!

Me: Is it second chance if our first “relationship” involved us sneaking off to make out in closets?

Lucy: Did you have feelings for him?

Bella: Did you want to call him your boyfriend?

Me: Well, of course, but I couldn’t. We couldn’t. He kept saying that we couldn’t tell Raven. I think he was scared of her back then. Kept saying something about her sitting on him. And I get it now, because my little girl will sit on her brothers to keep them in line.

Bella: Ooh, and it’s best friend’s brother! I don’t read enough of those.

Lucy: Yeah, it’s always brother’s best friend. Best friend’s brother is seriously underrated.

Me: But this isn’t a book. What if something happens and then Raven finds out and gets mad at me? Her friendship is so important to me. You’re all my besties, but she’s my person.

Bella: She won’t be mad at you. I don’t think?

Lucy: Yeah, maybe just grossed out, but not mad at you.

Me: What if she calls me an idiot?

Lucy: I think that’s just her nickname for her brother.

Bella: If you want to be with him, you need to talk to him. You two have some past hurt that you need to air out before the humping commences.

Lucy: I agree. Take it from me, it’s better to be up front about where you both stand.

Me: I’m not sure if I’m ready for that conversation. Being stuck in this house is making me feel things. It’ll be better once I get back home.

Lucy: So you can go back to pretending you don’t like him?

Bella: She doesn’t even pretend that hard. Any time someone mentions the word fire, her ears perk up and she brings up RJ.

Me: I do not!

Lucy: You totally do.

I know they’re right, but I’m not sure I’m ready to confront him about this hurt. Nothing has even happened yet, and already I’m afraid of what could happen.

CHAPTER 11

RJ

Did I want Summer to catch me in the shower? Yes. Yes, I did. I’ve left the door unlocked every morning when I shower after my run, but she’s usually fast asleep when I emerge from the bathroom. But today I didn’t see her in the bed. I didn’t know she was already in the bathroom.

I was hoping she’d join me, but when she didn’t, I felt like an ass. Until I caught the look on her face right after I came. She may try to play it off like she’s unaffected, but every now and then I catch glimpses of her letting her walls down. We really need to talk, but this game of cat-and-mouse has given me a chance to prove how reliable I can be.

When I walk out of the bedroom, all the kids are sitting quietly in the living room eating what looks like bowls of cereal, and there are empty boxes and a milk jug on the counter.

Sophie walks up to me, swipes the milk, and puts it back in the fridge. “Sorry, I meant to put that away.”

I wave a hand in the direction of the kids. “You did this?”

“Uh, yeah. I heard them playing in the hall and I was about to get up anyway, so I brought them down here and made breakfast. No eggs. And Logan said he normally checks his levels an hour after eating, and I figured you guys would be up by then.”