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I’m speechless. I never figured that Lane and Exie were related. Now thinking about it, they have the same last name, but I hadn’t put two and two together.
I can see the resemblance—they both have dark hair and dark brown eyes, and when they smile, they both have the same faint dimple in their left cheek.
Lane wears a long-sleeved fitted shirt with the sleeves scrunched up, showing off the tattoos on his forearms, jeans that hang low, and a baseball hat.
“This is my best friend Aura, the girl I’ve told you so much about. She’s the one who makes the cool bracelets.” She points at the other two guys. “This is Blaze and Dex. They work with my brother at his shop.”
“Hey,” they both say with a wave.
“Hello,” I say softly. My gaze lands on Lane. “Hello, Lane.”
Exie’s head whips back and forth, and she waves her finger between us. “Wait, how do you know each other?”
“She came by the shop and was interested in the Jeep,” he answers.
She quirks a brow. “Oh. So you knew it was her I was talking about the whole time?”
Lane glances at his sister, a look of guilt crossing his features. “I did. I’m sorry, Exie.”
Why would he keep that from her? Was he afraid I would stop being her friend or something stupid like that?
Lane looks back at me. “How come you never stopped by again? You’re not interested in the Jeep anymore?” he asks.
I love the Jeep, but a quick Google search let me know there was no way I could afford it. The Jeep he is selling is way newer than the ones I saw listed, and it would take me years to come up with the money working for the St. Claires.
“I-I’m not sure it is a smart move for me right now. I’m sorry if I led you on about my interest in buying it from you.”
I lift my wrist, showing him the bracelet I made, and turn the small wooden charm with my signature for all my handmadepieces. “Here is the bracelet you ordered.” I unclasp it and hold it out.
He takes it from my fingers, and his eyes light up when he looks at it. He lifts his head and smiles. “I like it. I like it a lot.”
I let out the breath I was holding, relieved. I would hate to make something someone will pay for that I spent my time on and have them hate it. I return his smile, and he stares at me for a second too long, not saying a word. Dex gives him a nudge.
He blinks and swallows. “Oh, my bad.” He slides his hand inside the front pocket of his jeans, retrieves the money, and hands it to me.
“Thank you. I hope you really like it,” I say.
Then there is silence.
Exie claps her hands together. “Okay, let’s get to it,” she says, breaking up the awkwardness.
She walks with me behind her brother and his friends. “I think my brother likes you,” she whispers.
I turn toward her, frowning. “I don’t think—we don’t know each other. That is not possible.”
She snorts softly. “I have never seen him stare at a girl the way he was staring at you just now.”
We head to the ticket booth, and his friends go first and pay for their tickets and bands. Lane steps up to the booth ahead of Exie and me.
I slide my hand in the pocket of my worn, ripped jeans to retrieve the money for my ticket and the band. Lane turns around with two extra bands and two extra tickets, one for me and his sister.
“How much do I owe you?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “It’s on me,” he says with a smile.
“That’s really sweet, but I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair. You paid for the bracelet, and I would feel really bad if you paid for my ticket too.”
“It’s okay, Aura,” Exie chimes in with a laugh. “My brother’s loaded.”
