AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Lucas, it’s fine. I wasn’t waiting for you to do that. I know you’ve known each other for a long time. You really don’t owe me an explanation or anything. So how are things? She’s still into the modeling thing?”
“I guess. She’s posing for some shoot or something.”
In other words, it’s a hobby and not a job and she’s just getting pictures of herself. Well, I don’t have their kind of money, but hey, I have a terrific dental plan.
Officially, I am a bore.
“Well, that sounds like fun. I hope her portfolio turns out great.” I reach for an apple to cut up, and Lucas grabs my hand and inspects it. “What the hell are you doing?”
He releases it and goes back to leaning against the counter. “Nothing. So you had a good time?”
I get it. We’re friends now. This is what friends do in our situation. “No, and I really don’t want to talk about it right now, so can we just drop it for today?”
“Oh. Were you expecting anything to happen last night?”
Other than not being left curbside in front of a restaurant? “Nothing comes to mind. Did I miss something?”
“No. I was just curious.” He’s fairly relaxed after his weird minute. The rest of the morning goes by with the ease of our new normal. Lucas is his semi-usual charming self and, dammit, in an upbeat mood I envy.
He offers to drive us all to his friend’s barbecue, but my dad takes his own car instead. Says he wants to get home before the “drunkies” decide to drive.
It’s not on the same side of the lake where Lucas and I met, but it’s still nice. And then there’s Lucas. In board shorts and a tank top that leave nothing to the imagination.
And of course, he looks nice. Fine. I can see that perfect, muscular—
“There he is!” Some guy shouts.
He’s equally good-looking, but he’s not Lucas. Lucas is God’s gift to women with functioning eyes. Also, I know what he looks like without a shirt on and it’s the kind of view that would have a nun consider breaking her vows.
“Joel!” Lucas goes up to him and they bro-hug one another.
“Man, introduce me to the fam.” Ew. He’s one of those guys.
He walks up and this Joel person looks vaguely familiar. Bronze skin, short dark hair and clean shaven. A thicker, more muscular build to him, but if I picture him a little more scrawny, he looks like.. oh no. His eyes are a comforting brown, meeting mine, and for a second, I hope he doesn’t have the same memory I do.
“Allie?” He smiles, perfect white teeth shining, and a dimple in his cheek. Yep, he remembers.
I should stop hoping for things. “Hi, Joel.”
Between us, Lucas swings his head back and forth in confusion. “How do you two know each other?”
Jadon and my dad come up from behind us at the worst possible time as Joel recounts the memory. “Allie and I kissed once. A long time ago,” he laughs it off. “What a small world. I didn’t even put it together that you weretheAllie. Not that I knew your last name.”
Did I miss when Lucas said my full name?
Also, damn Charity and her need to drag me to that stupid camp with her every summer. She was the one that liked him and dared me to kiss him, thinking he would realize he was in love with her.
She’ll love this, I’m sure.Not.
“Yeah,” my cheeks burn as I scratch the back of my neck. “I haven’t seen you since we were, what? Twelve?”
Lucas’ friend is admitting to having kissed me when I was twelve in front of not only Lucas but my son and father. Awesome.
“You two kissed?” Lucas looks between us, and hides his fist in the pocket of his shorts.
“Church camp, bro. My parents forced me after the graffiti incident. Anyway,” Joel grins at me. “How’s Charity?”
“Oh, she’s just peachy.” My day just improved immensely. She’ll scream. I don’t know what happened between them, but I know there’s a story there. One that makes her break whatever objects are in her hands whenever I mention Joel.
