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“Yes, ma’am,” we chorused this time, though none of us believed it, especially her.
After she’d gone inside, leaving us to enjoy our drinks, Trick let out a long sigh. “Oh, the things we do for you, Gamble. You better end up married to Bentley after this.”
“Shut up,” I grumbled, feeling my face heat.
It was embarrassing as hell for the entire freaking family group, except Bentley herself, to know I liked her, but it’d be worse if she knew too. So I put up with their teasing because they all kept their silence for me, thinking I should be the one to tell her myself.
Even though that was never going to happen.
“Hey, we’ve got headlights coming,” Fox announced suddenly.
In unison, he, Trick, and I slid off the swing and ducked down behind the porch railing out of sight from the road.
“How long did that take?” I asked as the car slowed and pulled to the curb in front of the Parker house.
“Uh, two hours and forty-five minutes,” Fox reported after consulting his watch.
“Is that a good or bad sign?” Trick whispered.
The hell if I knew. I’d spent all of high school too busy dreaming about Bentley Parker to ever bother asking some other girl on a real date. How would I know appropriate date times?
“Shh,” I hissed as both the driver’s side door and passenger side door of Ridgely's Camaro came open.
My ex-friend came racing around to Bentley’s side, his blond curly hair highlighted under the spray of the streetlights, just as B
entley stepped up onto the curb.
“Oh man,” he grumbled in disappointment when he saw her taking care of herself. “I was going to open your door for you.”
Bentley froze as if guilty before she laughed and covered her mouth, telling him a mumbled, “Sorry.”
My stomach muscles knotted painfully as that laugh filled my ears and made them buzz with agony. I couldn’t believe she’d given him one of her amazing laughs. It was the genuine kind too, not the fake polite one she reserved for most people.
I wanted to rearrange his face for that alone. But God...
What if she actually liked him? What if she wanted to see him again? Or, hell, kiss him tonight?
Dizziness assailed me, and the cold sweat of dread coated my body, beading on my upper lip. I didn’t think I could just hide here and watch them fall in love together, right before my very eyes.
Fox edged closer to me in the dark and whispered, “How are we going to play this?”
I shook my head, fighting off the strange urge to bawl like a big baby. My face grew scorching hot as Ridgely took Bentley’s hand and walked her toward the porch.
Brain frozen over at the sight of them together, I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came.
When Ridgely had informed me—as a friend—that he was going to ask Bentley out, I’d flat-out told him no. So he’d added that he hadn’t been asking. And I’d shot back that he’d regret it if he went anywhere near her.
The douche was obviously willing to throw our friendship away over her; that had to mean he liked her, right?
Plus, she didn’t look miserable.
What if he could make her happy? What if they, like, belonged together? Forever?
My stomach revolted, and I shook my head as the acids roiled.
“I don’t know,” I hissed to Bentley’s brother as my eyes stayed on her. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to ruin her night anymore. I mean, she was fucking smiling.
I never made her smile like that.
