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“Why wouldn’t I?”
He’s quiet for a moment. I want to make him say what he did, leading me on, only to pull away at the last moment.
“Dev, please don’t be angry with me. I know I screwed up. There hasn’t been a moment since you walked away from me that I haven’t thought about you and how I messed everything up.”
“So you called to apologize?”
“Yes and no.”
“Which is it?” I ask, unable to hide the annoyance in my voice from all the games he’s playing with me.
“Yes, I wanted to apologize to you for being a complete jackass.”
“And?”
“And I also wanted to see if you’d give me another chance. I don’t want this to mess up. Let me take you out to dinner to really catch up.”
Is he asking me out on a date? But he used the words catch up.
“Devrie? You still there?”
I glance over at Landry. The smile on her face tells me that she’s heard everything he said. She nods, urging me to answer him. But I shake my head. I’m not sure I want to put myself through this again. I want someone who wants to be near me because he wants to, not because my brother asked him to be.
Landry lunges forward and grabs the phone out of my hand.
“She’ll meet you in an hour,” she says to him. “What restaurant?”
My mouth drops open as Alec doesn’t miss a beat. He spouts off a restaurant I’ve never been to and says he’ll text me the address. Landry hangs up the phone before I’m able to find my voice and cancel the plans.
“I guess you have to go now. You don’t want him sitting all alone, and some other woman lends her shoulder to cry on.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “You don’t play fair.”
“You’ll thank me later.”
ALEC
I twist the icy tumbler on the table as I wait for Devrie. She should’ve been here fifteen minutes ago, and it’s looking more and more likely that she’s going to stand me up. Maybe it’s for the best? She’s doing what I couldn’t do—stay away from her.
Technically I met my obligation to Denny. I checked up on Devrie, confirming that she’s more than capable of taking care of herself, but I’m still here, wanting more.
It doesn’t help that I managed to pick a dimly lit restaurant filled with couples looking so in love that it makes me sick or jealous. Either way, it was a bad decision. Maybe it’s best that Devrie doesn’t show. She’s off-limits. She’s my best friend’s little sister. The sister he’d die for, or worse, he’d kill for her. He’d kill me if he knew the thoughts I’ve been having about her.
There’s no denying that I didn’t notice she was pretty when we were younger, but it wasn’t until that night in the park that everything changed. I can’t stop thinking about her and imagining every part of her. Dreaming about the softness of her skin, the sounds I could get her to make, the taste of her on my lips.
Fuck. I down the contents of my glass, trying not to think about the ache of my dick is feeling right now.
This isn’t a good idea.
I stand up to leave. I’ll text her in the cab that something came up at work, and we’ll have to reschedule. But just as I’m about to put my plan into action when I notice her walk through the front doors of the restaurant. She looks as uneasy as I feel as her gaze sweeps over all the patrons until she lands on me.
The hostess stops her, but Devrie just smiles and points to where I’m standing. They both look, and the hostess waves her through.
I swear she’s more beautiful every time I see her. Her smile is still wide and bright, but there’s a weariness in her eyes that cuts me a little. She’s probably trying to figure out my hot and cold attitude. And I wish I could somehow explain everything without looking like a crazy person. Besides, this restaurant is certainly not doing me any favors.
“I wasn’t sure if you were coming,” I say, moving around the table to pull out the chair for her. I’m tempted to lean in close and take in that soft scent of lilacs in her hair, but I’m already riding the good or bad guy line. I don’t need to be adding creeper to the mix.
“I wasn’t sure either. It was my roommate that agreed I’d come out tonight.”
