Page 77 of Dive Into Me

Air was expelled from my lungs in a whoosh. “Yeah. I know you.”

“You look like hell, kid,” he said with his typical tone of humor as he studied me intently.

I snorted. “Thanks.”

“It’s none of my business what happened between you and Jamie, but are you… okay?”

I gave him a look that said hell no, and he frowned.

“So did you come here on his behalf or what? Because I already spoke to him and he knows that I simply left. I’m not missing.”

Lincoln nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m here to see for myself that my friend is alright.”

“We’re still friends even after I've been dating Jamie in secret for months?”

“A heads-up would have been nice, but I’ve had plenty of time to think. You and I were long over before you and Jamie started.” He yanked one hand out of his pocket to rub his nape. “I might have overreacted.”

I sighed. “I guess it wasn’t fair to you that we kept it a secret.” He nodded, and I gestured to the sofa. “You might as well make yourself comfortable. You know Mom won’t let you leave this house without making you eat dinner first.”

Lincoln laughed as he sat. “Faye does love to feed everyone.”

I flopped down beside him, not feeling as awkward as I thought I would. I was right, no matter what, Lincoln and I would always care about each other. We’d always been great friends and maybe that was the problem between us to begin with.

“May I ask you something, Char?”

I turned to him, tucking my legs under me. “You came all this way just to check on me. You can ask me many things.”

He smiled, and I returned it.

“Why Jamie and not me?”

My lips parted, and my eyes widened slightly. “Wow… just right in there, huh? No easing into it.”

He shrugged. “You know what I liked about us as a couple? We were honest with each other, no matter how hard it was to be.”

I nodded. “True.”

“It was so easy between us,” he said. “That’s why I don’t get why you weren’t interested in trying again.”

My chest heaved with the force of my inhalation. “That’s just it, Lincoln. Have you ever thought that maybe it was so easy between us because there was no passion?”

He blinked and then sat back. However, he didn’t deny it.

“We just sort of worked because we had things in common. I’ve always felt more like your bestie than a girlfriend. There’s your answer, Lincoln. I wanted to be with Jamie because I… I felt… We were…” I swallowed the ball of emotion rising in my throat. If I had to verbalize everything I felt with Jamie—the intensity, the consuming passion, the heart-fluttering moments, the intrigue, and the love—I’d burst into tears.

Lincoln took pity on me. He grunted. “It’s okay. I get it.”

“Thanks.” I sniffed and dashed at a tear that escaped. “Since we’re being honest, why did you travel from LA just to ask me why I chose Jamie? I know it’s more than curiosity.”

It was a rarity to see the gentle giant blush, and I folded my lips to hide my amusement.

“Who is she?” I asked.

I feared he might have caught whiplash with the speed he turned his neck to gawk at me. “What? Who…?”

I rolled my eyes. “Years ago, when we got together… I saw the pain in your eyes. I knew I was a rebound, but you were just so cool that I let it slide and things turned out to be good between us for a while.”

“Jesus, Char, you were never a rebound. You’re one of the most amazing women I know.”

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