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Slowing her gate, she remembered Erma’s earlier outburst when she walked into the council meeting.
Yeah, staying at the Wayward Inn on Woeful wasn’t happening.
She smirked at her dilemma and the absurd, nearly forgotten naming conventions in this weird little town.
Then she wondered if the story that she had “violated” the mayor, was widely known. If so, she wished she’d thought to bring the pearl-handled handgun Marshall had given her as a birthday present a couple years back.
“I suppose everyone knows about… what happened.”
He kept walking. “Only that you drugged me.”
“So, they don’t know that we…”
“That we had nonconsensual sex?” he asked, donning his sunglasses and drowning out any readable facial expressions.
“That’s not altogether true,” she said, and before she thought better of it, added, “One side consented.”
He paused, hands on his hips and staring straight ahead. His jaw pulsed and a vein in his neck stood out. “Don’t do that, Birdie. Don’t make light of... that.”
Okay, maybe thatwasgoing too far.
He continued, “Drugging someone and luring them into having sex, does not constitute consent on the part of the individual who was chemically altered.”
“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t make light of what happened.”
Lucas resumed his trek to the parking lot and to a beautifully restored vintage, forest-green pickup truck. He opened the passenger door, assuming the role of consummate gentleman as if the instinct had been bred into him.
Even when assisting an uncharged felon.
Birdie slid inside with a wry grin. “Um, has Mia seen your truck?”
“Not yet, why?” he asked, one hand leaning on the top of the window frame. “She’s a fully restored 1951 Ford F-1 pickup truck. The interior is original and under the hood is a pristine 351 engine.”
She shrugged with a faint smile, “Just curious. I’m sure she’ll get a kick out of it.”
He laid one of those long broody glares on her. And for a moment, they were both back in high school and he was giving her one of his signature glowers. The one that made her insides feel like warm honey and her blood pressure sky rocket.
A look that she never quite managed to decode.
When they were much younger, she totally ruled his emotional world. Making him lose his temper on a daily basis and pushing him to his absolute limits.
Then, everything changed.
Per Bernadette’s scheming, they spent every day after school together. It was touch and go at first. Arguing over every little thing, both of them refusing to backdown. Lucas stomping away in a fit of anger while she sat in doleful contemplation.
Alone.
After a few weeks of that, she soon learned she’d rather have his company than spend the last couple hours of her day in convicted solitude. Before she knew it, the balance of power had taken a one-eighty. She not only liked having someone to talk to and spend time with, she liked him. Lucas. Best of all.
And he knew it.
He seemed to become more and more immune to her spiteful outbursts, although fewer and farther between. When she was having a “moment” he would simply ignore her. Offering up nothing more than an expressionless demeanor.
What was the point of a reckless tirade when your target couldn’t care less?
During middle school, their friendship took another turn. She didn’t just like him. She liked him liked him and began to suspect he felt the same.
Then high school rolled around and the attraction was undeniable.
He was going to ask her to be his girlfriend. She just knew it. All she had to do was make sure her mother never found out, sure to assume the worst about their relationship and what they were doing.
Which meant she had to keep their newfound feelings from Maisie.
