Page 94 of The Dixon Rule

He nods solemnly. “Please let me know when a slot opens up again.”

“You will be the first person I notify,” I promise. “And by first, I mean dead last.”

We’re passing Sweet Birch when Percy suddenly exits the front door. The paranoid part of my brain wonders if he’s been lying in wait. Hiding in the lobby waiting for his opportunity to pop outside. But my logical side says that’s crazy. He couldn’t have timed this so well.

His expression darkens when he spots us, but he recovers quickly and pastes on a weak smile.

Shane stops, but I reach for his hand to pull him forward. “Keep walking,” I murmur.

“Diana,” Percy calls at our backs. “Do you have a second?”

I ignore him and quicken my pace, practically dragging Shane along. The anxiety rises again, compressing my throat. It’s a familiar sensation now, and I hate that it’s familiar. Thanks to Percy, I feel helpless and trapped. I want to call my dad and beg him to come here, to heave Percy up by the collar and throw him into a different fucking state. But I can’t ask my father to solve my problems. I have to solve them myself.

I inhale as many deep breaths as I can, but I only feel more lightheaded by the time we enter our lobby.

I don’t know what Shane sees on my face—I pray it’s not fear—but whatever it is makes his jaw tense. “Do you want me to go have a word with him?”

“No. I’m hoping if I ignore him, he’ll eventually go away.”

That doesn’t seem to satisfy Shane, but after a beat, he shrugs. “Fine. Let me know if you change your mind.” We reach the top of the stairs. “What should we get for dinner?”

I realize my appetite is completely gone. The sight of Percy’s face annihilated it.

“You know what, I changed my mind about dinner. I have a headache,” I lie. “I think I’m going to take a shower and lie down for a bit.”

“Are you sure—”

“Later, Lindley.” I slide into my apartment before Shane can argue.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SHANE

We’ve gone viral

DIANA AND GIGI RETURN FROM THEIR DRESS FITTING AROUND TWO ON Sunday. It’s still a scorcher of a day, and Ryder ends up joining us at the Meadow Hill pool, the four of us claiming a set of loungers and slathering ourselves in sunscreen.

While the girls sunbathe, I kick Ryder’s ass in a race that draws loud cheers from the rowdy teenage boys in the pool with us. Dave and Marnie’s kids are allowed to talk to me now that the neighbors don’t hate me anymore. Veronika, of course, is sprawled in her usual lounge chair, blatantly checking out Ryder and me. It’s a perfect pool day with good friends, sunshine, and beer.

The only problem is, Diana and I keep forgetting we’re supposed to be dating. Around our best friends, we fall naturally back into our old roles. Those roles being Diana hates Shane, and Shane’s only goal in life is to piss her off.

Heaving myself out of the pool, I watch as Diana points something out in the clouds for Gigi. “There. There. Do you see it?”

Gigi slides her sunglasses on to get a better view. “Nope.”

I towel off and settle in the chair next to Diana’s, while Ryder stretches out beside his wife.

“What are we looking at?” I ask curiously.

“That cloud up there is shaped like a magician. He’s wearing a top hat and holding a rabbit in one hand and a huge butcher knife in the other.”

“That’s dark,” I tell her.

“Hey, I didn’t do this. That’s what the clouds are saying today.”

I roll my eyes at her. “You have issues.”

“You didn’t even try to see it,” Diana accuses.

---