Page 30 of An Engagement Pact

We all leave together and say goodbye before Chase and Paige start walking the opposite way, holding hands.

They’re cute. So obviously in love but not over the top or obnoxiously sappy about it.

Despite all my dreams of independence and self-sufficiency, I would love to be part of a relationship like that.

When I first met Rick, I thought I’d found it. But I was horribly, painfully wrong about that.

“You okay?” Dan asks softly, his eyes on my face.

I turn back to him quickly, forcing a smile. “Of course.”

He narrows his eyes in a skeptical expression but doesn’t argue.

“Thanks for the drink,” I say, shaking off my reflections. “My car is just a block away, so you can head back to yours if—”

His frown deepens, but he still doesn’t say anything. Just falls into step with me as I start to walk.

With a sigh, I resign myself to the fact that he’s committed himself to escorting me to my car and there’s no dissuading him from doing so.

It’s not like it matters that much anyway.

We make our way in silence until we reach the parking lot where I left my car. The lot is always full during the day, but it’s completely empty right now except my small, ten-year-old Ford sedan.

“I had a good time,” Dan says. “Can I join you tomorrow too?”

I hesitate, momentarily stumped by the unexpected question.

His eyebrows lower. “You don’t want me to?”

“N-no. It’s fine. If you really want. It’s just not necessary.”

“Necessary for what?” We’ve reached my car now—both standing near the driver’s side door—and he’s got his head tilted down, peering at me.

“Necessary for... for our plan.”

“You don’t think it would make sense for an engaged couple to spend a Friday evening together?”

“Well, yeah. I guess that would make sense.” I keep darting glances up toward him, my excited jitters growing more and more intense as his expression changes.

He was frowning before, but now he’s not. He looks like he’s smiling without lifting the corners of his mouth. And it’s not a normal amused smile. It’s intimate. Almost tender.

It makes me gulp as I try to restrain a rush of pleasure.

He looks like he wants to kiss me again, and that’s exactly what I want too.

“Okay then. We’ll walk Sasha again tomorrow. Then we can do something afterward if we want.”

“L-like what?”

“Like anything we feel like.”

“O...kay.”

“Okay.”

I clear my throat, no longer daring to look up at him for fear of what I might do.

“Vicky.” His voice is just a little bit thick.

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