Page 29 of The One I Left Behind

She scoffs. “You don’t scare me, Noughton.”

“Well, you scare me, Adams.”

She looks at me as I pull into traffic. I always did love surprising her.

Chapter Ten

Gillian

It’s a real struggle to be in the cab of this pickup with Ben and not feel a pull toward him. Never mind the fact that he went to the trouble of borrowing a truck from Brooks, picked up our breakfast—the size of the bag says he got a ton of food—and now we’re driving somewhere so no one sees us.

When he pulls off the county road, I realize this place is a little too familiar. It’s a spot we found by accident and would park and make out. It’s high up on a hill, looking down at the rolling hills of Hickory with the sun still rising to its spot high in the sky. The fields are all covered in wildflowers.

“We should find somewhere else,” I say, unable to bear the thought of being here as he puts his hand on my headrest to back into a makeshift spot.

“I like this spot.”

“I know what you’re doing. I’m just not sure why you’re doing it.” As soon as the truck stops, I get out, hoping the fresh air will clear my head.

His truck door opens and shuts, but I don’t turn around. “I’m not sure what you’re asking.”

I slowly turn while he grabs a blanket, lines the bed of the truck with it, and places the bag of food on it. He pulls out a small cooler with some drinks.

“This isn’t a ‘let’s-clear-the-air-so-we-can-be-friends’ setup.” I put my hand out, gesturing to everything he’s doing. “This is a ‘let-me-kiss-you-and-lay-you-down-on-the-truck-bed’ arrangement.”

He laughs and sits down, patting the spot next to him.

I cross my arms. “I’m not seventeen anymore. Your charm won’t work.”

“Charm? You thought I had charm in high school?” His expression says he finds that impressive. “I was just horny.”

I shake my head. I guess his humor didn’t change. “You know what I mean. This elaborate setup. There’s no chance of us getting back together.”

He takes the food out of the bag, not looking at me. “You’d prefer if I had us sit on the gravel and handed you a takeout container and a plastic fork? You know I wasn’t raised like that.”

His words ring true. All the Noughton boys have reputations similar to their father’s. The women in their lives, the ones they really care about, are treated like queens. You see it with Jude and his best friend, Sadie. They might not be romantically involved, but you’d never guess with how he makes her a plate at the barbecue, gets all her drinks at the bar, and is always the driver when they go anywhere. I think she’s the only one he doesn’t grunt at.

“So, this is just to be nice?” I tilt my head.

He nods and takes his pointer finger, making a cross over his heart.

“That doesn’t hold a lot of weight.”

He pats the spot next to him. “They’re going to get cold.”

I forgot about the cinnamon rolls, but I don’t want to give in too soon. He’ll see me as weak when I’m adamant that nothing is happening between us.

Still, I slide up onto the truck bed where he has an entire spread of breakfast items. One container is filled with little cinnamon rolls. How I managed to not have these in all the years he’s been away makes me think I have more willpower than I give myself credit for.

He stabs one with a fork and holds it out to me.

“I can get it myself.” I pick up my own fork and put one on my plate. I pile part of a cheese omelet and some fruit there too.

The moan that escapes him after he takes his first bite zeros in between my thighs. “I forgot how good they were. How good most of the food is around here.”

“You have to have good food in San Francisco.” I bite into a piece of melon.

“Had,” he says.

---