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“I need to know what happens next,” I said.
Warren and Luke exchanged a glance, then looked back at Adrian together. Eventually my original ex-boyfriend shrugged.
“I guess you choose.”
The choice of words stunned me. It was the last thing I expected.
“Choose?”
“Well yeah,” Luke started in. “Kayla, we all had the same thing in mind: we wanted you back. We figured you’d come to town, we’d do our thing, and maybe one of us would rekindle what we had with you. At that point, the others who didn’t get chosen would step away.”
“The last thing we expected was allthreeof us to make that connection,” said Warren. “I mean, in theory it makes sense. But in retrospect…”
“In retrospect we fucked up,” Adrian said gruffly. Leaning forward, he folded his tattooed hands on the table. “We never planned for this. And wedefinitelydidn’t plan for last night.”
My mouth was dry. My heart was pounding again. I could tell what they were saying was true, and they meant it genuinely. But none of them had anyideawhat kind of pressure they were putting on me.
“So the choice becomes yours,” said Warren again. “We can’t make it for you. Maybe you feel a stronger connection with one of us than the others. If that’s the case, and you want to pursue it—”
“Stop.”
“The ball’s in your court,” Luke went on. “We’ve all told you how we feel. Or at least—”
“Just stop!”
I raised my voice so abruptly I actually surprised myself. All of a sudden my head was spinning. I was losing control.
“Give me a minute,” I said, rising from the table.
“Kayla, please don’t think—”
“A minute!”
I stumbled off, toward the back area of the diner that was cordoned off by two swinging doors. I passed both bathrooms and kept going, pushing myself through the doors and into the kitchen. I passed fry cooks. Waiter and waitresses standing near the line, waiting on orders.
I guess you choose.
The words echoed again in my mind, frightening me even more. How the hell could I choose? Even worse, how could theyexpectme to?
I pushed through the kitchen and straight out an open back door, where the old building finally ejected me into the sunlight. Everything was wet, though it was no longer raining. The smell of ozone hung cloyingly in the air.
Choose.
Yeah right.
Setting one foot down in front of the other, I kept on walking without looking back.
Twenty-Six
LUKE
It took me five minutes to get to the garage when it should’ve taken ten. I swung the truck in the back and flew inside, sprinting up the carpeted staircase that led to the upper offices.
“HOLYSHIT!”
I flew into the office so fast, I’d scared the hell out of her. Janice whirled in her swivel-chair, clutching her chest and cursing like a truck driver.
“Warnme next time before you do something like that!” she exclaimed. “You can’t just come rushing up here when my back’s turn—”
