Page 46 of Beneath the Quiet

“Persuasive people.”

“In what way?”

I tighten my hands on the wheel.

“They tend to play matchmaker. Often.”

Laughter fills the tight space, and my chest tightens from the sound of her husky voice. I let it wash over me for a moment, basking in it, before I switch gears.

“Not funny,” I mutter.

“Oh, but it is.”

“Well, I don’t think so, and since I’m the one having to bear the brunt of it, my opinion is the only one that matters.”

“You can’t be serious,” she scoffs. She keeps quiet for a couple of seconds, and when I next chance another glance in her direction, her eyes are no longer amused. They’re as big as teacups instead. “But wait, does that mean…”

I grunt. “Now, you’re catching on. It means that my sweet, loving parents have set their sights on you now, and we need to ensure that they forget their plans immediately.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

I raise my eyes in wonder and push down on the brake. When the car stops, I turn in my seat. I need to see her face when we have this conversation.

“Really?”

She mirrors my pose. “Really. The last thing I need right now is romance.” She wrinkles her nose. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I won’t ever be interested in dating you.”

I wince.

“Ah, thank you. I think.”

She rolls her eyes, and unfortunately, it only makes me grin harder. Bloody hell.

“Don’t get your boxers in a twist. I…”

“How do you know I wear boxers?”

She sighs.

“I didn’t mean for it to come out the way it did. I only meant that I’m not interested in you like that. That I’m happy with us being friends.”

I lean closer and peer into her eyes. “And I don’t want you to misunderstand me, but I’m not interested in dating you, either.”

Her eyes fill with satisfaction. “Good. So, what’s the plan now?”

“The plan?”

“For letting your parents down gently.”

“There’s no plan. I just want us both to agree that all their matchmaking attempts will either have to be thwarted on the spot, or…”

“Or...?”

“Or at least we’ll know that their efforts won’t amount to anything. That the lines won’t get blurred.”

She nods, staring off in the distance. “Won’t they think it’s odd if we don’t protest too hard, or just go with whatever they come up with to put us in the same path?”

I tip my hand from side to side. “Nah, they won’t. They’re not exactly great at the matchmaking thing. They just think that if they push us together enough, we’ll end up seeing things from their perspective.”