Page 42 of Just This Once

“Uh...yeah. I definitely got it now.”

“Good.”

As soon as I released him, he straightened and rolled his shoulders before plucking at his shirt as if to get more air in there. “Thanks,” he said.

I lifted my brows, watching him try to squirm the discomfort back out of his system. “Mm-hmm,” I said as a car turned the corner at the end of the block, and headlights blinded us with its approach.

Stepping away from the bench, I said, “Looks like this is me.”

“Yep.” Foster sighed as he glanced over at me. “You gonna be okay, Park?”

I snorted. “Always am,” I told him.

Even when I didn’t want to be. Even when everyone died around me. I was always okay, left with the guilt of living through another day, while they couldn’t.

As the car pulled up to the curb next to us, I saluted my friend before reaching for the passenger side door. “Later, bro.”

“Later,” he told me softly.

I plopped into the seat and shut the door, making my driver glance out the window with a confused frown when Foster turned away and started back toward his building. “Is he not coming? I thought I had two stops to make.”

“One of them is just a drive-by,” I answered. “I loaned my car out to someone and wanted to make sure it was okay.”

The driver seemed momentarily confused, but then he shrugged and mumbled, “Whatever.”

Following the directions from the GPS coordinates I’d gotten from my Lucid Air’s location, we traveled about twenty minutes from Foster’s apartment, coming to another apartment complex. There were no hotels in sight. But my Lucid Air was sitting in the building’s parking lot as if it belonged.

Which meant—son of a bitch—she really had moved back to town. This wasn’t some short-term visit.

“She look okay?” the driver asked, jarring me from my thoughts.

I glanced at him. “What?”

“Your car?” he asked

“Oh.” Slumping back in my seat in dread and letting my head fall back so I could peer out the window up at the stars, I muttered, “Yeah. It’s all good.”

But it wasn’t. Not by a long shot. Because learning that Hope was here to stay sent a spark of interest through me that was more than concerning. It was straight-up frightening.

10

PARKER

Well, this was lame.

Out of all the lame things I’d done, this had to rank up there in the top ten.

I’d returned to my old stomping grounds in search of a one-night stand. Or a one-morningstand. Hell, I didn’t care when it happened, just as long as it was soon.

Because if I wanted to see my parents, I was going to have to get my hormones under control before lying back down next to Raina. No way was I going to wake up with my hand on one of my best friend’s women again. That had not been cool.

And I blamed Langston for it entirely.

She’d gotten me riled up and ready to fuck with her flirty little looks and all the provocative shit she’d said.

You’re just jealous that I didn’t crawl on top of you.

Don’t pull too hard; I might like it.

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