Page 70 of Bad Blood

What do I do?

She coughs some more, clears her throat, and stands. Her skin is a darker shade of red, one I’m not too fond of, and her eyes are wide. Her chest heaves as we stare at each other. She watches me for an extra beat before laughter bubbles out of her.

“Were you gonna let me die?” She bends at the waist, placing a hand on her knee as she grabs her bag of food and the drink. “That wouldn’t be in Liam’s best interest.”

“I didn’t . . . I’m sorry . . .” My eyes bounce around the restaurant, trying to pass the blame on someone else.

She sucks in air. “I can breathe. I enjoy breathing.”

“Are you okay?”

“I needed a good laugh. Thanks.” Her smile spreads from ear to ear. “And this is not an option,” she states, pointing between us. “Ever.”

I’m shocked by her brazen tone and like that she blushes when we touch. But it’s all replaced by discomfort when I give her one of my best smiles.

“Say hello to Liam.” She doesn’t allow me to respond before disappearing out the front door, the bell jingling in her wake.

I struggle between wanting to chase her and needing to stay for Liam’s soup, a sense of urgency I haven’t felt before, but luckily, my number gets called, and I grab our food. I’m out the door and on my toes in search of her while I weave through the crowd. My stomach growls, and my mind ping-pongs between spending time with Liam versus Brighton. I’m drawn to the appeal of the latter.

The blinking pedestrian crossing sign grabs my attention at the intersection ahead, and I swear it’s her brown hair swaying in the wind in the crowd ahead. I bump into people as I pass and apologize, stopping a couple of feet short of her.

“Brighton?” Her name rolls off my tongue like it belongs there, and I’m curious if she’ll call me out for following her.

She freezes, caught off guard. I was right. The horde keeps going. She turns. It’s so slow it feels straight out of a film. I continue forward until I’m beside her. I reach out, my fingers grazing across her elbow, and her gaze drops to my hand. The zing coursing between us is unmistakable. And the look in her eyes confirms I couldn’t have made it up.

When she takes a step back, it’s clear I violated some invisible boundary. She shakes her head, her mouth opening and closing, but no words come out.

“I wanted to say sorry.” I hold out a hand, a peace offering.

She stares at it. “For what?”

“Last time we talked.” My eyes linger on the flush of her cheeks.

“No need. I get where you were coming from and understand if Liam has a change of heart. I wouldn’t say I’d blame him.”

“Like changing doctors?”

Two lines appear between her dark brows, and her smile falters. “If that’s what he wants.”

“You took that all wrong. I’m sorry I put you on the spot. I can only imagine how difficult everything is, and I didn’t mean to make it awkward.”

“I figured someone would ask eventually,” she says with a casual shoulder raise.

I wonder how she’s holding up regarding the doctor. I doubt she’d tell me. Seems like she prefers to appear strong, whether or not that’s the case. I don’t have a lot to lose here. It’s a fifty-fifty chance I’ll get a yes. And I shoot my shot. “Wanna eat? With me?” I point over my shoulder toward Central Park.

Something about how the rosy hue fills her cheeks as she tries to hide her discomfort makes me desperate to find more ways to make her smile. But there’s a small part of me—very, very small—that knows I shouldn’t be doing this. Taking things further is a big no-no. I need to focus on Liam and how this would affect him. Not how badly I want to get to know her better.

Her eyes bounce between my hand and the park, the internal debate clear on her face. “That’s not appropriate.”

“I’m just a guy asking a girl if she wants to eat at the park. Nothing inappropriate here.” I clasp my pinkie and thumb, holding up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

She chuckles under her breath. “Wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest?”

“My interest or yours?”

She shakes her head, the grin on her face growing. “Liam’s.”

“Liam doesn’t have any interest in this.” I point between her and me. “No pressure.” I back away from her and head down the sidewalk, trying to act unaffected. I’m attracted to her on a whole new level, but not enough to beg.

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