Page 67 of The Light We Lost

It was clear I’d made a bigger one.

When we made our deal to stop holding back, to stop letting life decide for us, it hadn’t occurred to me he’d see it as a challenge to stop holding back with me. And despite what the record might show, it wasn’t often Nolan didn’t get what he wanted. He worked harder than anyone I knew.

I’d have to work even harder, then.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Nolan—Now

“She didwhat?” Brooks’s eyes were wide, like he couldn’t believe what had come out of our little brother’s mouth. Reaching across the front counter of the game shop, he pulled my phone closer to him. “Say that one more time.”

Levi groaned on the other side of the line, likely regretting he’d called. “Indy texted me last night. Asked me if I had any friends I could set her up with when she goes back to New York.”

I laughed, and Brooks shot me an incredulous look, not understanding what was so funny. Especially since I’d just told them my plans for Indy. How I hoped to make the most of our time left together before I let her walk away at the end of the month. “Well?” he asked, more concerned than I was. “Did you give her anyone’s number?”

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Levi bit out, and I smiled at the annoyance in his voice. “I already watched my life flash before my eyes when I danced with Indy—Nolan looked like he wanted to strangle me. I’m not getting involved in whatever weird foreplay this is.”

“Do you know what foreplay is?” I taunted, unable to help myself from getting a rise out of him. “Or do you still think babies are made when you touch pinkies?”

Brooks laughed, probably thinking of when Levi had come home after a girl touched his hand on the bus. He’d been a blubbering mess, panicking that he’d have to sell his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures to support the baby.

“You guys are pricks,” Levi muttered. “I hope Indy gives you hell.”

Damn if I didn’t hope for that too.

Rather than admitting I was a desperate son of a bitch, I thanked him for having my back and ended the call. I slid my phone back into my pocket and returned my attention to the boxes at my feet. I had been in the middle of inventory when Levi called.

Despite it being late, Brooks didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave. “You want to talk about it?”

I smiled. “There’s nothing to talk about.” There wasn’t. I wasn’t mad, or even jealous. I knew what she was doing. And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t excite me.

Brooks opened his mouth, but before he could tell me I was insane, my phone rang. I pulled it out, surprised to see it was Heath. We hadn’t spoken since he’d read Dad’s letter and agreed to hold off on selling the bar until I had the money Dad left. Hoping it had something to do with that, I answered. But after a few pleasantries, he said, “Thought you might like to know Indy’s been at my bar for the past hour.”

I set a shipment of bullets at my feet. “She’s there?”

“She is. And she’s having a mighty fine time if you ask me.”

I hadn’t seen her since this morning on the tense drive home from our camping trip. Indy had perched on the edge of her seat, looking on the verge of jumping out the window. After the call from Levi, I wasn’t surprised she was at the bar. If anything, her determination to discourage me told me just how close I was to unraveling her.

Her not running away told me just how much she wished I would.

“Well.” I smirked. “Thanks for letting me know she’s having a good time. But what Indy does is her business—”

“Thought you might like to know Sam’s been following her like a dusty dog all night.”

I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to hurry over there and tell Sam to get lost. I’d never trusted him around her. “Like I said, that’s Indy’s business. You and I both know she can handle him.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he muttered.

I knew what he meant. Indy had never hesitated to put someone in their place in the past. Now? Except with me, I hadn’t seen a spark of that fiery spirit. I could tell that was what Heath wanted to avoid, but I didn’t care if she set this whole town on fire. At least she’d stopped hiding.

“Look—she’s having a good time, but something’s off, alright? Besides me, she’s got no one in this bar looking out for her.”

I cursed under my breath. He was right, and I hated it. After telling Heath I’d be right over, I set the shipments aside for tomorrow, caught Brooks up, and followed him out the front door. “You taking her back to her parents’ place?” he asked.

“Nope.” I locked the door behind me. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Can you at least let me know when you get home?” he shouted, and I waved him off, silently agreeing. Though I had no idea when that would be.

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