AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I groan and cover my face with both hands.
“It must be something juicy if you’re willing to spend extra minutes with me to avoid him.”
Laughter bubbles up in my throat, and I cut it off with a cough. I don’t want to be amused by Mindy. I don’t want to remember how close we were, once upon a time. “Ugh. You are the literal worst.”
Straightening, I stalk past her, down the side of the stage, and through the gathering crowd, losing sight of him amongst the revelers.
Might as well bite the bullet. The longer I wait, the weirder it will be when we inevitably encounter each other again.
An assortment of colognes mixed with a whiff of stale beer assaults my nostrils as I wind through the clumps of onlookers, moving in the general direction of where Atticus was standing.
What am I going to say? Hi, how are you, thanks for all the orgasms, sorry for running away?
“Taylor!” Finley tugs me into a hug. “There you are. Jake said you were here. I thought maybe you already left.”
She doesn’t sayagain, but the word echoes in the air between us anyway.
Finley’s mouth is spread in a smile, but there’s strain around the edges.
“We’ve been having such a great trip. Oliver met all the new hires and he behaved almost like a normal human.”
She launches into some story about the first spring camp scheduled for April, and I half pay attention and half keep a side-eye out for Atticus.
Where did he go?
I hate that things are weird with Finley. I want to tell her everything. About Atticus, about what happened, about the mom search, but I can’t. I’ve created this wedge between us.
What is it about guilt and family and how you can’t have one without the other? Or is it just us?
“I have to pee.” The words erupt from my mouth, overly loud, cutting Finley off while she rants about Oliver and his inability to compromise over something with the camp.
Her mouth freezes, half open.
I spin around and run into a broad chest, assailed by the faint scent of cedar mixed with fresh soap.
Atticus. His hands cover my shoulders, warm and familiar.
I force myself to meet his gaze. Our eyes lock and fire zings down my body, sparking over my skin.
Arousal splashes over me like he just turned on a horny shower.
“Hey, there... you.” I clear my suddenly dry throat. “It’s, uh, so nice to see you again.” I finish with a super cool light arm punch.
Someone stop me before I make it worse.
ChapterSix
Atticus
“It’s nice to see you too.” I duck my head and lower my voice. “Empress of Awesome, was it?”
It’s the lamest joke I’ve ever made to anyone, ever, but her eyes light up and she releases a surprised chuckle, the outcome worth the risk of humiliation.
She’s wearing a flowy, long-sleeved bohemian dress with a chunky silver necklace and high, fringed boots. My mind explodes with images. What would she look like with only the boots and those long legs wrapped around my hips?
I swallow, hard.
Her eyes widen, cheeks highlighted pink. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
