Page 68 of When You Had Me Adapting

She reappears, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s not mine, it’s Jace’s.” She spins and is gone again.

“How fucking interesting.” He looks at the cover of the book. “You know there’s a show you could watch, right? Why are you putting yourself through the misery of reading these?”

I snatch the book from his hands. “Well for one, Lacey told me to read them, and for two I didn’t know there was a show.”

“You gonna tell her how you feel or are y’all gonna keep the miscommunication thing going for another ten years?” He lets out a loud laugh.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Dude, tell me you don’t love her and I’ll shut up. But, don’t fucking lie to me because you look like Logan does when he gets around Poppy. You’re reading books for her.”

“What does it matter? If I say I love her, which I’m not confirming to you, she’s hated me for ten years and now she wants to be friends.” I shake my head. “Plus there’s a real chance I’m leaving for Australia soon and I’m not going to hurt her again.”

He scoffs. “I thought you were looking into that other job? What happened to your plan to stay?”

I take a large sip of coffee and roll my neck. “I applied, but I haven’t heard anything yet. It’s been over a week. There’s still a lot up in the air.”

“Right, like the girl you love is dating someone else.”

“They have nothing to do with it.”

Tanner grins and shakes his head. It’s apparent he doesn’t believe me, but what else can I say. The truth is she is with someone else. I might have overheard that they haven’t slept together, but it’s none of my business. The best I can do is be her friend again.

“That guy won’t be around much longer.”

“Oh yeah? You don’t know that.”

He shrugs. “No way I’m mediocre and he’s not.”

I throw a playful punch and he runs away laughing and wiggling his eyebrows at me.Dumb ass.

I don’t know if he’s right about Chris, but I know he’s right about me. As much as I’ve let my brain go there in recent days, I know it’s not what Lacey wants and that’s okay. I finally have her back and I don’t want to lose her again. My phone pings and I swipe up on the screen.

Yesterday 8:00 PM

Jace: I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop earlier. I’m here if you need to talk.

Today 7:45 AM

Pixie: No worries! Maybe next time don’t make it so obvious.

Jace: Promise me you’ll find me if you need to talk.

Pixie: Pinky promise.

CHAPTER 32: DANCING VAGINA

LACEY

After tubing all morning, we went back to the cabin to pick up Donovan and Enzo, eat lunch, and take a break from the heat before heading back on the water.

The boat is anchored in a small cove near the cabin. The sun is starting to move lower in the sky, but unfortunately the heat hasn’t diminished at all. It has to be the hottest day we’ve had all summer. The only reprieve is the lake water and so that’s where most of the group is—floating on various shaped floats.

Chris has surprisingly loosened up and I wonder if it’s the booze or if he actually might be turning a corner and putting whatever he thinks is going on with Jace out of his head.

“So, Donovan and Enzo, are y’all ready for the big day?” Logan asks.

Both men smile. “I can’t believe in two weeks I’ll get to call this guy my husband,” Donovan gushes, pulling Enzo in for a kiss.

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