Page 89 of Tell Me It’s Right

“Sounds like I’m rubbing off on you.”

He gives me an unamused smirk. Well, he tries to. His eyes tell me he thought it was at least a little funny.

I cross the distance between us and hug him from behind. “I really am sorry.”

He pats my arm a few times. “I owe my new gray hair to you.”

I glance up to find Keava watching us with her head tilted to the side, and there’s something about the look in her eyes that tells me she doesn’t quite believe me.

Chapter Thirty-Two

GRACIE

Liam:Be ready at 6:30

Gracie:…ready for what?

Liam:For me to pick you up

Gracie:For. What?

Liam::)

My bathroom sink is drowning in used makeup wipes. Every time I get a few steps into my routine, something goes wrong and I whip one out, wipe it off, and start over.

It’s just an off day. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact it’s already six o’clock.

We’ve been dancing around what happened on the Fourth of July for nearly two weeks now. Despite the skatepark and the beach and the flirting, the handholding and thelookshe gives me and the texts he sends even when we’re in the same room…

He hasn’t kissed me again.

And man, my overactive imagination haslovedcartwheeling through every possible thing that could mean.

In the end, I do the same makeup I do every day for work. Anything different and he’ll probably notice, then he might think I’m trying too hard, and?—

“Oh my God, get it together,” I mutter under my breath and force myself out of the bathroom as if I can physically leave the overthinking behind me.

I keep the outfit casual too—some jean shorts, a cropped tank top, and a zip-up hoodie. I pace around my room, not wanting to go upstairs yet but out of things to do, and if I let myself look in the mirror again, I’ll start messing around in a never-ending cycle. Keava and Leo already left for their biweekly dinner date night, so the house is quiet.

The pacing is not calming. My hands are sweating, and my heart is beating too fast, and I don’t think I was even this nervous before my date with Miles.Whyam I so nervous? It’s just Liam. I’m around him almost every day, have been long before this job.

It’s just Liam.

But also: this is Liam.

Older than me, cooler than me, already knows everything embarrassing that’s ever happened to me, Liam.

The doorbell rings.

The only thing that gets me up the stairs is inertia.

One foot in front of the other. Don’t think about it. We’re just moving, moving, moving?—

I swing the door open without allowing myself to hesitate.

Liam is standing on the porch with his hands casually tucked in his pockets. For some reason, the image is entirely…foreign. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him use the doorbell and wait outside before.

“Hey.” He smiles and nods sideways toward his truck. “Ready to go?”

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