Page 98 of Pick Me This Time

46

DAPHNE

While helping to set up the gym at the high school for the reunion, I couldn’t help but notice the glaring absence of most members of the student government of Eric’s class. It was like none of them cared at all and they were simply expecting things to be done—even if they couldn’t be bothered to do it themselves.

A couple of them were with us, but the vast majority were nowhere to be found—and I wasn’t the only person here who’d noticed. Lacey-Lee, another volunteer who had been in the year behind me and had moved back to town straight after college too, looked annoyed as she glanced around.

“Seriously? I think this class has the laziest student government who has ever come through Allisburg High. I volunteer every year and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

I nodded my agreement. “Yeah, I know. It’s my brother’s class, so I hate ragging on them, but they definitely could be doing better.”

“I’ve seen so many of them around town these last few days, but where are they?” She took another pointed look around before accepting a balloon from me for the arch we were constructing. “Do they even realize that the rest of us are all volunteers who can just walk away?”

I shrugged. “Personally, I wouldn’t do that to the faculty, but you’re not wrong. I just hope they’re appreciating the effort being put in on their behalf.”

“I doubt it,” she said wistfully. “All the people I’ve run into from their group have been terribly self-important. Like those of us who stayed in town should fall at their feet for getting out.”

I chuckled, thinking back to Fiona’s comment about all the rest of them moving on to better things. “Amen to that, sister. That’s also probably why they’re not here. They’re too busy being important to help with a little thing like the reunion they all came back to town for.”

“Strutting around town bragging about how great their lives are and the cities they moved to.” She winked at me. “I can actually see them doing that, though. Except your brother, of course. Jake Garrison’s okay as well. It’s the rest of them that are assholes.”

As she hung the balloon and reached off the ladder she was standing on for another, her gaze locked on the door and her cheeks flushed. “Oh, boy. Let’s hope he didn’t hear us. That’s Sterling North, isn’t it? It’s about damn time their president showed up.”

I spun around, immediately finding him as he strode into the gym. Those dark eyes of his had already zeroed in on me. His long legs ate up the distance between us. My mouth went dry and my voice came out a little squeaky.

“Yeah,” I said. “That’s him.”

“I hope he brought reinforcements,” she muttered as she took the balloon from me, staring at him openly for a beat until she seemed to catch herself and went back to work.

I struggled to do the same thing, especially because he was still striding directly toward me. Our eyes locked and for a moment, the gym faded into the background and I forgot all about the fact that we were apparently not talking to each other.

Sterling was looking at me like I was the only person in the room, his head not even cocking as people called his name and tried to get his input on what they were doing. I was only vaguely aware of it myself, but it wasn’t my name they were saying.

He ignored them, though.

If I hadn’t known any better, I would’ve thought he’d only come here for me, but that couldn’t be true. We were setting up for their reunion and he was the class president, so he was probably only going to do the polite thing and say hi before he got to work.

As soon as he reached me, he wrapped his fingers around my arm and took me aside. “Can we talk for a minute? Somewhere private?”

I nodded and followed as he led me out of the gym and into a quiet hallway beyond. My heart was pounding. I turned to face him, missing the heat of his hand on my skin as soon as he dropped it back to his side.

We were only standing about a foot or so apart, and my entire body was tingling with having him so near again after not seeing him for what felt like an eternity. I kept my distance, though, crossing my arms to keep myself from reaching for him.

“Hi,” I said, still too squeaky.

“Hey, Daph.” His voice was hard and low, and there was no smile on his lips as he looked at me.

In fact, it seemed he’d reverted to that cold, distant guy he’d been when he’d first arrived, which hurt like hell. I wanted to throw my arms around his neck and beg him to tell me what was going on, but I didn’t. “What’s up?”

“We need to talk.”

“So you said, but you’ve had a few days to reach out and you haven’t, so I’m not quite sure what you suddenly want to talk to me about now.”

“Eric has an issue with us seeing each other,” he murmured, eyes still fixed on my own.

His black hair was a little messy, like he’d been fidgeting with it on his way over, but that couldn’t be true. Sterling North wasn’t the type to fidget. I sighed. “Yes, I know that, but that’s his problem. Not mine and not yours.”

“It is my problem and yours if it’s going to cause issues in your family, Daphne. That’s not what I want. I don’t want to be responsible for a rift between you guys. You’ve always been so close.”