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“I’ll order delivery or something. Don’t worry about me,” she replied, then I head her grumble, “You never did before.”
Which was patently untrue, but I didn’t call her on it. I didn’t have that right. Plus, I was sure I wasn’t intended to hear what she’d said. It still struck me through my heart.
I silently cleared my throat. Swallowed. Swallowed again. Took a breath and released it. “My mom wants us to come to dinner.”
“Have fun. I’m sure she misses you.”
I shook my head, not fooled by her tart retort. “Us. She wantsusto come to dinner, and apparently, my dad already started the grill. I know you’re pissed at me, but it’s not their fault. They’ll be really disappointed if you don’t come.”
The door wrenched open, revealing my gorgeous, pissed-off girl. Christ, I wanted to hook my hand behind her neck, forking my fingers into her lush dark hair, and pull her to me.
“Are you seriously guilting me?” she demanded.
If that’s what it takes.
“Don’t make me show up without you. Please. I promise, if you come with me, I won’t think it has anything to do with me. I know you’ll only be going over there for them.”
Her eyes narrowed, her lips pursing, and she crossed her arms. The pink-tipped fingers curled on her upper arms. I wanted to curl my hands over them and tug her to me.
“I’m glad you understand that, at least.”
“You’ll come?”Please, say yes.I craved her company. Fuck the fundraiser; I wanted to spend every moment with Bristol.
“Not for you. I mean…” she quickly corrected when she caught the unintended innuendo. “Going to your parents’ has nothing to do with you.”
“So you will come for me?” Yeah, I shouldn’t have said it.
Her glare cut me dead, and I knew I’d pushed my moment of banter too far.
“I need a few minutes to get ready.”
She shut the door right in my face. Roiling with frustration, I headed back into the small living room where I paced while I waited for her. I had my work cut out for me. Bristol wouldn’t just let me off the hook, that was for sure. And I needed her to be…less mad at me, I supposed, before we had the serious talk about our spring break trip six and a half years go.
God, we’d been so young and gotten so drunk on the tropical island we’d visited. We’d been playing around that night. None of us—Barke and Oakley Woods, Sadie Grant, Ginger Bing—thought the events that night were real. Hell, if any of them had an inkling, they would have stopped us. Especially Barke or Oakley since they were Bristol’s cousins.
How it had happened didn’t matter. Utmost was what was between Bristol and me now. We’d deal with the rest later.
“Ready?” she grated, interrupting my thoughts as she swept past me toward the front door. My throat closed, arousal vibrating through me as I took in the snug jeans that hugged her curves and the silky blouse that clung to her torso in all the right places. Fuck…she was just so…lush. Womanly. Perfect. I’d missed her—being with her, having her naked in my arms—but seeing her now, all I could imagine was the new softness pressed against me.
Fuck!I needed her.
And the way things were going, I’d never have her.
No. That wasn’t true. I’djustvowed I’d fight for her, but I suspected I’d have a hell of a battle.
“I’ll drive,” I told her.
“I didn’t see your car.”
I grimaced as I followed her out of the apartment and downstairs to the sidewalk.
“Rental,” I told her. “I was going to get my SUV out of storage, but I didn’t have time to get it prepped, since it was such short notice. So I’m stuck with a silver roller skate.”
She giggled as I pressed the key fob and a squeaky chirp responded. Hell, the car evensoundedlike something out of a cartoon.
“Must be torture,” she chuckled.
“You have no idea.”
