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I try to shake it off and lean forward, pushing myself to focus more on the baseball game everyone’s talking about. I mostly succeed, even if my eyes do flick Busy’s way more than I normally would allow. Eventually, the other guys get up and head to the bar to order another round, leaving Nick and me at the table alone.
“So…what’s going on with you and the Mitchell girl,” he asks, leaning toward me on the table and—thankfully—keeping his voice low.
My brow furrows. “Nothing.”
He pins me with a look.
“Seriously, nothing,” I insist.
Because it’s true. There isnothinggoing on between us, no matter how much I might wish that wasn’t the case.
His eyes narrow and he takes a sip of his beer, then his eyes glance to the right, where I know Busy is posted up at the bar with Briar and Bellamy.
“It’s interesting that nothing’s going on when she keeps glancing over here.”
Licking my lips, I debate with myself about looking over my shoulder to where she is. Eventually I lose the war and I turn, finding her glancing in my direction at the exact same time. Her eyes widen slightly and she gives me a tight smile then turns back around, facing the bartender who’s chatting with Bellamy.
Nick scoffs, and when I look over at him, he’s leaning back in his chair, his hands folded casually against his stomach.
“Sure. There’s nothing going on. Not like she looked at you like she’s seen you naked or anything.”
“She hasn’t seen me naked.”
Nick watches me for a long beat. “But?”
Sighing, I lean forward. “We kissed on the Fourth of July.”
One eyebrow rises high on Nick’s forehead before a wide smile splits his face. “Holy shit. Nobody talks about a kiss like that unless the earth has fucking moved. You’re falling for her.”
I am. Which is what makes all of this feel…impossible.
“Just go for it, man. After that bullshit with Sarah, you deserve someone who will make you happy.”
“Nick, I told you before. I’m not interested in starting anything up, with anyone. I wasn’t kidding.”
At that, he rolls his eyes. “And likeItoldyou, there are plenty more fish in the sea. Hot ones. Frisky ones. Ones you take to bed and ones you take home to your mom.” He shrugs. “But you can’t just…be alone forever.”
I take a long sip of my beer, wishing Nick knew the truth, wishing he understood the reason why I say I never plan to date or fall in love ever again. Nothing lasts forever.
“And once you hook a good one like her?” he continues, hitching his thumb in the direction of the Mitchell sisters at the bar. “You don’t cut the line and let someone else go after her.”
I look back at Busy at the bar. If only it were that simple.
Honestly, the best thing I can do for Busy is hope someone elsedoesgo after her, someone far better than me who can give her the kind of life she’s dreamed of.
Not one…filled with complications and responsibility she can’t even begin to imagine.
When Nick drops me off at home later, I’m what I consider to be just the right amount of buzzed. Just enough that I feel good, but not so much that I think I’ll feel like trash tomorrow.
Perfect.
We’ll see if I still feel the same way as I nurse my headache and achy body in the morning.
When I key in through my front door, I glance around, knowing instinctively that Sydney isn’t in the house. I sigh then push out onto my deck and look over to Busy’s, finding Sydney lying on the edge with her head resting on her paws, looking out at the water. Her head rises when she hears me, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.
“Am I ever going to be able to leave you at home without worrying you’re going to escape?” I ask, dropping down into my seat and patting my lap. “Or are you just going to keep doing this for the rest of your life?”
Sydney pushes up—reluctantly, it seems—and slowly heads my direction. Once she’s finally stopped between my legs, I reach out with both hands to scratch her head.
