Page 93 of Bump and Run

I parkmy van and step outside into the driveway. I don’t even remember how I got here. I’ve been stuck in my head since lunch, obsessing over the possibility of having the talk with Eliza Pierce that I arrived home completely on auto-pilot.

At this point, I’ve managed to talk myself into believing that Eliza feels the same way about me as I do about her. There’s something in her smile, something so beautiful and comforting, that there must be more than just casual friendliness behind it. No girl has ever looked at me like that before — at least, none that I’ve noticed as much as her.

I step onto the porch and the front door opens before I reach it.

“Good morning, Lover Boy.”

Grant pops it closed behind him and I stare at him with confusion.

“Grant…? You looking for Eliza?”

He grins. “Nope.”

I furrow my brow. “So…”

“Don’t think too hard about it,” he says, flashing a quick wink. He taps my cheek with his palm as he passes and I stand still for several moments while he half-skips to his car parked on the street.

Okay, then.

I step inside the house and run right into Ty’s worrisome face.

“Hey,”he says, his eyes shifting from mine to the street outside.

“Relax, man. Grant’s a cool guy.”

I give his shoulder a reassuring pat as I pass by him into the living room and he stares at me as I plop down onto the couch.

“Rough night?” he asks, letting the tension fall from his shoulders.

I shake my head. “No, it was perfect.”

“Then why do you look like someone sucker punched you in the nads?”

I stare at the ceiling. There’s a word on my tongue. I don’t think I’ve ever used it in this context before but I might as well test drive it now.

“I’m in love with Eliza.”

My body twinges for a second, jolting at the mere mention of the word but I settle just as quickly. Somehow, I feel lighter and better off than I was before, like an overdue, cathartic shock to the system.

“Shit, dude,” Ty chuckles. “You just now figure that out?”

“Yeah.”

“I could have told you that.”

I look up at him. “This is bad, isn’t it?”

“Do you feel bad about it?”

I let a moment pass by. “No.”

“Then what’s wrong — other than the obvious she’s Cary Pierce’s daughter part?”

“Shit…” I sigh. “This is bad.”

“You didn’t seem all that concerned about it before when it was just sex.”

“Well, I can do sex.” Words fall out of me with little thought. “I like sex. Sex and I are buddies. Being in love is something else entirely.”

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