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“It’s clear we aren’t going to be able to avoid our attraction just through sheer damn willpower. I’m back in town and I’m not going anywhere. Maybe we should give the thing between us a chance.”
Billie looked weirdly—was that hopeful? Or happy? I couldn’t quite tell—for a moment, and then her gaze grew hard again. “No way. Hooking up is one thing, but I’m not willing to risk the consequences of dating you and then—then you’ll get bored of me, and you’ll get bored with Canyon again, and you’ll head off and I’ll just be left with everyone talking about me and making up rumors and it’ll be shit.”
“That isn’t what happened last time.” Nobody even knew about us last time, and I sure as hell didn’t leave because I was bored with town, or bored with her.
Billie just shoved me away, clearly not listening. “Keep away from me, Pike, all right? Just…” She sounded close to tears. “Just keep away.”
She undid the bathroom door, shoved her way out, and was gone.
What—what the hell? How was she running so hot and cold like this? We were drawn to each other, there was no denying it, and she wanted me. I know that she did. But she kept shoving me away, every time, and so angrily too. I didn’t understand. I had told her that I wanted a relationship, in the letter, so why was she acting like I was the one who’d decided against it and left her? Every encounter with her left me more confused than the last.
I stepped out of the bathroom after I fixed myself up, not sure what to do. Should I try and find some people in the party and hang out, relax? Or should I just go home? Could I really stand to hang around and possibly see Billie again, with that idiot Carter of all people, maybe?
“Just the man I wanted to see.”
I turned to find Amber grabbing me, dragging me into the kitchen. “I’ve got a proposition for you, and I just know that you’re going to love it.”
I highly doubted that. “Go on.” With Amber, it was best to let her get her ideas out into the world, let her say whatever was on her mind and get it over with.
Amber grinned at me. “I want you to be my boyfriend.”
14
Billie
Michelle started the interrogation the minute I sat down to brunch at the diner. Silver lining, I wasn’t hungover this time, and I actually showed up on time.
“Where did you disappear to?” she asked. “I thought maybe you were with Carter but I saw him hanging around and he was never with you, which, can I say, thank God for that Billie, honestly you can do better than him and I know he’s my brother but…” She froze.
I noticed her gaze zeroing in on my neck, and that was when I remembered Pike sucking on that same spot, his teeth sinking down, tongue pressing against the skin… Shit.
“Is that a hickey!?” Michelle’s voice rose an entire octave and I leaned forward immediately, hissing, “Keep your voice down!”
“Did you fuck Carter!?” Michelle whispered right back. She looked horrified. “Billie!”
“I did not sleep with Carter, for fuck’s sake!” I quickly explained what had happened.
Michelle’s eyes got bigger and bigger as I explained. When I finished I expected her to explode, but instead she just sank back into the booth, still staring.
I buried my face in my hands. “Please say something.”
“Billie…” Michelle didn’t sound angry or judgmental, or any of the other ways that I thought she would sound. “Are you sure that… it’s just that twice now, you’ve hooked up with him, and it seems like he really wants to explore your connection. That he wants to make this something more serious.”
“He doesn’t. He definitely didn’t before.”
“That was four years ago, though. People grow and change. I’ve been hearing around town that he’s been keeping to himself, working at Jones’ garage, you know the way he used to in high school? But he isn’t the same hard partying prank-pulling guy he used to be. People seem surprised. I think he’s really matured.”
“Maybe he has in some ways,” I admitted, letting my hands fall away from my face, “but there’s no guarantee he’s going to stay. Sure, he’s here for this week but what about next week? He could just take off again without another word. He did it once, he can do it again, and it’s not worth the risk. And besides—look you know I hate the idea of Morgan controlling anything about my life but is it worth it to get with someone who I can’t depend on when I know being with him will make Morgan and I fight all over again?”
Michelle looked sympathetic. She knew that even if I hated to admit it, I was holding out hope that Morgan would apologize, and that we could go back to the way we were. I had admired my big brother so much growing up. I had always thought he was the coolest person around. He was so smart, and was going places, and knew all about cars. I might’ve had a massive crush on Pike, but I had always wanted to be Morgan. His anger at me and his judgment felt like a betrayal, worse than possibly any other, and yet I couldn’t stop myself from hoping that just maybe, he would understand and say he was sorry.
