Page 15 of Heart Strings

I groan and reluctantly nod. “It’s not what you think!” my words are muffled through my hands, then I look up at her. “Connor crashed into my bed, drunk out of his mind the other night and he… said something.”

Sophie’s eyes widen as she gets ready to hear the juicy gossip and I would have rolled my eyes if I weren’t so mortified. “Well? What did he say?”

“That he always wondered what it would be like to wake up next to me,” I blurted out, feeling the heat rise up into my cheeks again. And Sophie’s squealing is not helping.

“Oh, my god! I knew it! I called it! You know what this means, right?”

Before I can respond, there’s a knock on the door. Sophie jumps up, a mischievous glint in her eye. “I’ll get it. You do a final check in the mirror before we go. Trust me, you look amazing.”

I watch her go, her confidence infectious. I take a moment to look at myself in the mirror, the black dress and heels making me feel slightly confident, ready to take on the night.

Then I hear Sophie’s voice, followed by one that sends my heart into my throat. “Connor! What a surprise.”

I turn around just in time to see Connor standing in the doorway, his eyes widening as they land on me. There’s a moment, brief but charged, where everything else falls away.

“Wow, Gracie, you look... wow,” he stammers, and I can’t help the blush that creeps up my cheeks.

“Right?! I told her she’d look amazing in this dress,” Sophie, ever the instigator, grins. “You’re just in time. Hey, why don’t you join us? We’re heading to the wine tasting at the vineyard.”

Connor’s eyes dart between the two of us, clearly taken aback by the invitation. “I don’t want to intrude on your girls’ night out.”

“Nonsense!” Sophie interjects before I can say anything, giving him no room to refuse.

“Yeah, come with us. It’ll be fun,” I meet Connor’s gaze, silently asking if he’s okay with this. The last thing I want is for him to feel like a third wheel. But then he smiles that sheepish smile I love so much.

“If you’re sure, I’d love to join,” he says, a tentative smile forming on his lips.

“Perfect! Gracie can go ahead with you, because I know she’ll want to leave just as I start getting into it. I’ll meet you two there,” she says with that smile I know all too well.

He nods and as he heads back to his car and we follow him, Sophie links her arm with mine, whispering, “You’re welcome,” with a smirk.

I can’t help but laugh, the earlier tension melting away. “You planned this, didn’t you?”

Sophie shrugs, her grin widening. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m never wrong about these things. Tonight’s going to be memorable.”

“You’re a menace!” I whisper, only to have her winking before scurrying away. I love her, but sometimes her meddling drives me mad!

The drive to the wine tasting in Connor’s truck is unusually quiet, a stark contrast to our usual banter-filled rides. I find myself stealing glances at him, trying to gauge his mood, but he keeps his eyes on the road, his jaw set in concentration.

I clear my throat, attempting to pierce the silence. “So, have you been to one of these wine tastings before?” It’s a lame attempt at conversation, but I’m desperate to return to our familiar ease.

Connor glances at me, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, a couple of times. They can be fun. You?”

I shake my head. “First time. Sophie’s been raving about it for weeks.”

He nods, and we fall back into silence. This awkwardness between us is weird. Connor is the one who used to push me into mud puddles when we were kids, who’d steal my Oreos at lunchtime and make me chase him to get them back. This distance feels unnatural.

Is it because of the other night? Did it really change things between us?

As he changes gears, his hand accidentally brushes my knee, sending an unexpected jolt through me. My heart skips a beat, and I’m suddenly very aware of how close we are in the confined space of his truck.

What is up with me? This is Connor, not some guy I should be getting flustered over.

Connor seems oblivious to my internal war, focusing on the road ahead. I, on the other hand, can’t seem to get my bearings. The touch, innocent as it was, has stirred something in me that I can’t quite name.

Trying to shake off the feeling, I force a laugh. “Remember that time you dared me to climb Mr. Henderson’s apple tree, and I almost got stuck?”

A genuine smile breaks across Connor’s face, the tension in his shoulders easing. “How could I forget? You were so mad at me, but hey, we got a whole bag of apples out of it.”

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