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We continued to just stare at one another, neither of us wanting to be the first to break eye contact and admit some weird defeat.
I wasn’t even sure why Lucas and I bickered back and forth, always tossing insults. I mean, I understood why we did it when we were in school. We were constantly competing against each other for one thing or another. He couldn’t possibly still be bitter because I kicked his ass at nearly everything we went up against each other on. I smiled, thinking back to those days.
A race, boys against girls in first grade, and I had kicked his little five-year-old ass. Then in second grade, it was a contest to see who could throw and make the most baskets on the basketball court. I won that time too. Third grade, it had been another foot race, this time, just between the two of us. I came out victorious in that race as well. Fourth grade, he finally beat me at something and got first place in the science project. Fifth grade went back to me when I won the spelling bee contest. Sixth grade, I took home the best overall student of the year award. It continued like that all through middle and high school. No matter what was on the line, my goal in life was to beat Lucas, and his was the same. I had to win because if I didn’t, he would never let me live it down. And I had worked my ass off to beat him at almost everything. Then came senior year when Lucas and I were both up for valedictorian. It was literally a race to the finish, with Lucas beating me out by .5 points. The bickering grew worse after that, and I thought for sure it would stop when we graduated, became adults. I was wrong. A part of me enjoyed it, though, and I had a feeling he did as well. Except while I kept up my end of the bickering simply to be able to talk to him, he did it because he…well…he didn’t like me. That bothered me more than anything if I’m being honest. It really sucks being in love with a man who doesn’t feel the same way. Hell, who doesn’t even like you. Everyone liked me. Well, almost everyone. There was a small group of people from high school who did not like me or my sister, Sarah. Nathan was different. He was handsome, so all the girls liked him, and was the star quarterback of the football team. Sarah and I… We were labeled weird because of the whole witch history thing and because of Sarah practicing witchcraft with my aunt.
I shook those thoughts away.
“Before you toss out one of your insults, save it. I really don’t have time, Lucas.”
He feigned hurt. “Why, Hollie Craft, how do you know I wasn’t going to say something nice?”
I let out a bark of laughter. “You? Say something nice to me? Hell has not frozen over yet. You’ve hated me for this long, I hardly think you would suddenly grow a fondness for me.”
His smile faded and he reached for my hand. My heart felt like it stopped in my chest as a rush of pleasure reached through my body. “Hollie, I don’t hate you. I–”
Before he could finish, Rose came rushing out of the house. “Hollie! Wait! I can’t believe I forgot to ask you something!”
Lucas dropped my hand and turned to see his mother coming down the steps and toward us.
“Lucas! Darling! Did you already speak to Hollie about the secret engagement?”
My heart dropped as I shot my gaze back to Lucas. “En-engagement?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
Before I could even let my brain catch up to my mouth, I blurted out, “Who are you asking to marry you? I didn’t think you were even dating anyone.”
The moment his eyes sparkled with delight, I knew I had just made a gross error.
“Is that a bit ofjealousyI hear in that voice of yours, Hollie? And are you keeping tabs on who I’m dating?”
A rush of awkward laughter came out of my mouth, and I quickly pressed my lips together before I said, “Please. If anything, I feel sorry for her. I hope she knows what she’s getting into with you. Poor girl has no idea what a real…”
I let my voice trail off when I noticed Rose standing there with her brows lifted as she waited for me to throw out an insult to her younger son. I quickly shut my mouth.
He laughed. “As much as I would love to see where this was going, Hollie, the engagement surprise is not for me.”
I was going to ignore the way that made my body feel relieved. “Who is it for then?”
“Greg!” Rose announced with a beam of happiness, clearly forgetting I had just been rude to her other son.
Lucas nodded. “Yep, it’s for Greg.”
“Greg’s getting married?” I asked in shock. The last I heard he was happily playing the field.
“If she says yes,” Lucas stated as Rose hit him in the stomach.
“Of course, she will say yes, but we need your help in making it the most romantic engagement in the history of engagements!”
Lucas rolled his eyes.
“Wow, that’s a big request to fill,” I said with a nervous giggle. “Um, how long have they been dating?”
Lucas answered, “Six months or so. Greg has put me in charge of taking care of things.”
Nodding, I pulled my head back and stared at Lucas. “Why would he put you in charge of this? Seems to me like it would be your brother wanting to set this up.”
Rose chuckled. “I thought the same thing, but he is so busy at the hospital and working so much overtime…”
