Page 42 of Say it Ain’t So

I led the way, conscious of her presence with every step I took, and even more conscious of the way Van hovered beside her, placing himself between us every chance he could get.

The deli was busy, the line nearly out the door. We squeezed inside and it took everything in me to maintain the space between me and Joss. Especially when she cozied right up beside Van, and I swore I saw him take hold of her hand. The edges of my vision blurred and turned red, and I tried to breathe through it, tried to remind myself she wasn’t mine. That I didn’t even know her and everything she told me was a lie.

When we finally made it to the counter, Joss suddenly took off, and nothing I’d been telling myself seemed to stick.

“Where’s she going?” Panic gripped me and I wanted to bolt after her, to stop her from leaving me again.

“She’s grabbing us a table.” Van stepped forward in line, then turned back to me. “This place is packed, and we didn’t want to get our food and have nowhere to sit. I’ve got her order.”

He gave that order to the cashier, and I forced myself to take a deep breath. Across the restaurant, Joss pulled an empty chair over to a table meant for two and took a seat.

She was staying. She hadn’t run away again. I wasn’t sure if what I felt was comfort, but I tried to let it go.

My order was up seconds after Van’s, and I grabbed my tray and followed him through the crowded restaurant to Joss’s side. She gave him a wide smile which tempered when she turned it on me. She ducked her chin as I took a seat next to her. Then she pulled the bread off the top of her food and promptly pushed away from the table.

“Oh, shoot. They gave me turkey instead of ham.” She grabbed her tray and stood, only for Van to clamp his hand down on hers before snatching the tray from her.

“I’ll get it.”

“No, Van, it’s okay, I’ll⁠—”

“Sit.” I watched Joss flinch at his tone before she slowly sank to her seat. “I’ll take care of it.”

With him gone, Joss’s gaze darted to me before she fumbled with the thick gloves she’d left on the table. I leaned back in my chair and wanted to curse when I caught a hit of her delicious scent.

“Joss Monroe, huh? That’s an interesting name you’ve got.”

“I can explain.”

“So you said. Is it going to be more lies?”

“Rylan, I didn’t⁠—”

Leaning forward, I cut her off. “Bullshit. I looked everywhere for you. There’s no fucking Joss Monroe in North Dakota or Minnesota. Not a single fucking one.”

“I changed my name.”

“Likely.”

“I did, Rylan, I—” She lifted her gaze and tried on a smile. “Hey! That was quick.”

“They handed me the wrong one.” Van slid the tray in front of Joss and took a seat. “You two look like you’re getting along.”

“Joss was just telling me where she’s from.” I turned my attention back to her, watching as she dipped her chin, tucked her hair behind her ear, and picked at the corner of her sandwich.

“Yeah?” Van didn’t appear to notice the way she’d shut herself off. She’d done the same thing in Vegas, and it had taken time I’d been more than willing to spend to get her to open up. “You tell him about the zoo?”

Joss shook her head, glancing up at me.

“Zoo?” She’d mentioned a zoo in Vegas, and after failing to find her, I figured it was just one more lie.

“Her parents own the zoo I went to as a kid. Can you believe that? We’re practically neighbors!”

Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink that I was sure had nothing to do with the cold outside and everything to do with the asshole digging into his sandwich as if the two of us weren’t even there.

“We weren’t quite neighbors,” she murmured. “There’s a few hours between where we grew up.”

Lifting an eyebrow, I asked Van, “Wait. Where are you from?”