Page 23 of Don’t Be A Stranger

“Well.” I straighten out my posture, deciding that hunching over isn’t doing me any favors. “When you told me that you were going for a run, I didn’t think you’d be gone until near sunset.”

Summer shrugs. “Running soothes me.”

“Soothes you?” I’m in disbelief. “I ran for about a minute, tops, and I never want to do that again.”

Summer rolls her eyes but smiles nonetheless.

I catch her wrist, and we both stop walking again. “You’re going to have to cut this run short.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re going to get dinner.”

Summer looks around, as if someone is going to jump out of the bleachers with an entire camera crew. The way she scrunches her nose has me feeling all kinds of giddy that I should not be feeling right now. Or ever. Not for her.

Summer and I would never work. I’m me and she’s her. She deserves someone who can give her the world, not someone who’s mediocre at best.

“What’s with that look?” I ask. “You literally just said last night that you missed me.”

She’s quick to slap my shoulder. “I did not say I missed you.”

“No, but it was implied. Let’s just admit that we miss each other and get this show on the road.”

I grin when Summer opens her mouth but stops herself. Instead, she nods. “Fine, but you couldn’t tell me all this this morning when you were stealing my protein pancakes?”

“I didn’t know where I wanted to go.”

“And now you do?”

“Yeah.” I can’t help but brush a loose strand of hair from her cheek. I quickly pull my hand away, reminding myself that us being so physically close is what got us into trouble in the first place.

Summer watches my hand fall back to my side.

I internally brush off my own actions. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Right now?” she shrieks. “I’m all sweaty.”

At the mention of it, I try not to look at the sweat that is indeed the reason for Summer’s glistening chest. It makes me want to trace the tip of my tongue along her jawline and neck, maybe even making my way over her breasts. I wonder if Summer would moan and squirm beneath me.

Summer rarely lets anyone take the reins but maybe she’d let me. Okay, my jeans are getting too tight for my liking. Time to think of anything but that. I clear my throat. “That’s fine. We’re going to head back to the apartment so we can get dressed in appropriate attire.” I grin.

Summer perks up, her smile growing wide. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Hell yeah.”

That’s enough for Summer to start dragging me off the track and toward our little adventure.

Eight

Summer

Papi: Tell your father that The 100 is a masterpiece

Me: I was raised to never lie

Joe’s—a diner just outside of Ellingbrook—is rather packed but considering it’s a Friday night, I should’ve expected this. River and I are lucky enough to be able to sit in a corner booth. Granted, River offered two teenagers who were on a date twenty bucks to switch seats.

Did River kind of downplay how nice it is to have a corner booth, especially on a date? Yeah, he did. Was I going to do anything about it? No. No, I wasn’t. I’m selfish, okay? I wanted the corner booth.