Page 33 of Firefly Effect

Something kickstarts in my chest, and I wonder if this means we could be anything more than friends. Do I even want that? The way my body reacts to him confuses the hell out of me. I’ve never wanted that kind of relationship before—with anyone. Why Lincoln? Why now?

“Maybe I was a little desperate for clients when I first met you.” His lips quirk. “Pursuing you the way I did isn’t something I’m exactly proud of.”

I tilt my head, curiously. “Then why did you do it?”

He seems to consider his response. “Maybe I wanted to see you again for reasons that had nothing to do with your mental health.”

My heart skips a beat. “That is most definitely not ethical.”

He shakes his head, looking frustrated with himself and maybe some of his decisions. “Not at fucking all. But if you haven’t noticed, I haven’t asked you to come back to my office since the last time. If you did, it would strictly be as a friend.” The way his eyes burn through mine at the word “friend” tells me he most definitely means something more.

My eyes widen and my breath goes shallow. “Are you saying you don’t want to be my therapist, Doctor Reed?”

The way he pins me with his stare—desperate, hungry, and insatiable with need—makes my entire body come alive.

“I want to be whatever you’ll let me be, Evelyn Vaughn.” His eyes roam over my body, coming back to my lips. “I’m just not sure you’re ready for it.”

CHAPTER

TEN

LINCOLN

God, the way Evie makes me insane for absolutely no reason at all. My confession doesn’t make it anything easier. “I want to be whatever you’ll let me be, Evelyn Vaughn. I’m just not sure you’re ready for it.”

What the fuck was I thinking, saying that? I’m lucky that Evie finally trusts me enough to divulge any details of her tragic past. Me telling her I’m into her will only complicate how much information she’s willing to share. I didn’t move Lucy to Bryson City for nothing. I have work to do. This is where I need to be.

Evie stands. Her ass cheeks, bare beneath the cloth of her bikini, stare me in the face. Fuck me. If she were mine, I would drag her down onto my lap and kiss her senseless. Maybe then she would feel my truth, my need, my desire for her.

Instead, I stand, too, following her back down to the water.

“We’re falling behind the others,” she says, sounding breathless.

I would love to know if her lack of breath has anything to do with me, but she picks up her tube and moves to the water so fast, I have trouble keeping up. I stumble over every rock until I’m practically tripping into the water with my tube in hand.

Meanwhile, she’s sitting pretty in her tube, giving me a confused look. “Are you okay?” she asks, sounding amused.

I try to make my belly flop onto my tube more graceful, but that’s nearly impossible as my face lands on the hot rubber before I can reposition myself. “Yup,” I call out anyway. Once I’m finally onboard, I flip my body around until I’m facing the sky. I take a series of slow, deep breaths to calm my heart rate and refocus on the mission at hand.

Then I turn back around and paddle to close the distance to Evie. She’s got her head leaned back as if she’s completely relaxed, her eyes closed as she basks in the sun.

She must sense my presence because she opens one eye. “How does Lucy like Bryson City?”

Her question makes me smile. “She loves it.” I nod, thinking about just how much that statement is true. “She’s even already made a list of friends she wants to invite to her birthday party. The question is where on earth am I going to host ten little kids and their parents?”

Evie laughs. “Your house. Or somewhere like this.”

I don’t want to give Evie all the nitty-gritty details about how I would never celebrate my daughter’s birthday in the woods. “My house would be fine—I just have no clue how to entertain her friends. Are piñatas still cool? Do I need to come up with a bunch of games? Oh, and do I have to entertain and feed the parents too?”

Evie does that cute head-tilt thing, a signal that she wants to let me know I’m being too hard on myself. “I think whatever you do will be perfect. Focus on Lucy. On what Lucy wants. What will make her happy? The rest will fall into place.”

That’s it. One simple, honest statement, and I already feel better. Perspective is everything when you’re a parent. Just spending time with my little girl has shown me how fragile life can be and how futile it is to sweat the small stuff. Evie’s right. All that matters is that Lucy’s day is filled with love and friendship. Nothing else matters.

I nod. “Maybe I should hire you to help me plan it.”

She smiles. “I’m sure you’ve got this, Lincoln. But you know where to find me if you need me.”

I need you, I want to say. Instead, I keep the focus on my daughter. “I didn’t expect for her to make so many friends in daycare already. Back home, she just stayed with Francine while I worked. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to give her days to strangers, but she’s adapted so well here. I’m afraid…” I falter, questioning how much information is too much.

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