Page 38 of Play Pretend

“Where are we going?” I asked. He shrugged as he extended his hand toward me. It was rough and calloused, and before I even touched him, I knew it would be warm—it would behot.

Reaching up, my palm slid against his, and his thick, strong fingers wrapped around my smaller hand as he pulled me effortlessly to my feet. My body swayed forward slightly, but I caught myself before our bodies could touch. My dress billowed around my legs as we stared at each other, my hair still caught in the wind.

“We’re going to The Taphouse,” he said, and my head reared back, confused.

“You go to the bar?” I gaped up at him—I knew my eyes were massive, and my jaw was on the ground. But in no world did I ever think Ronan freaking Caldwell went to thebar.

“We’re meeting my sister and her friend,” he muttered. Pink tinged his cheeks at the admission, and slowly, my mouth closed, my eyes stopped being so wide.

Seeing him blush was actually kinda…cute.

It was ridiculous.

“I’ll meet you there,” I said. He hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something more, but he didn’t. Instead, he shoved his hands in his front pockets and turned toward the parking lot. His truck was massive beside my little car, and I tried not to think about how expensive his was in comparison.

Nothing I ever did would measure up to him—or anyone else. Seeing the sleek, shiny metal was a stark reminder of that. He was a respected member of our community, while I was just some weirdo who worked at the bakery and was obsessed with the lighthouse.

I glanced around the clearing again, the tall grass making me invisible from view down below on the beach. Maybe that was why everyone thought I was strange. Because I was a lurker. Always watching the beach, the lighthouse, the ocean, from the bushes.

Jeez, how much more melodramatic could I get?

We walked in silence toward our cars, and when we got to them, he hesitated again. His eyes briefly met mine before he stepped forward and pulled open my door. My brows lifted in quiet surprise, but I said nothing as I slipped inside, the worn fabric of the seat caressing my skin.

He looked around the car, his lips tightening when he saw the massive bag of fertilizer in my backseat. Or maybe it was because he saw my stash of hard candy overflowing from the cupholder.

Whatever it was, he didn’t look all that impressed.

Which was fine. I didn’t need to impress him. He was nothing but my neighbor—a neighbor who was doing a super massive favor for me, but a neighbor nonetheless.

“I’ll see you at the bar,” I muttered, reaching for my door handle.

He gripped the top edge, keeping the door open. Our eyes clashed for a moment, and my heart soared into my throat. Sweat gathered on my palms, and my mouth went dry.

“Just so you know, it’s trivia night.”

willow

He wasn’t lying—it really was trivia night. Neon lights illuminated the otherwise dark bar, and music blasted from the jukebox in the back. But it was the overwhelming chatter that made it impossible to hear what Trinity was saying.

I leaned forward, straining to hear her. The barstool rocked slightly, and my heart leapt into my throat—it had been doing it since the second I sat down, and if I wasn’t careful, I knew I’d tumble to the floor.

“Have you been here before?” Trinity shouted, leaning across the table. Her blonde hair swayed with her movements, darker at the roots and nearly white at the ends. She smiled brightly, her glossy pink lips reflecting the blue and yellow lights.

“A few times.”

Every time with Gracie.

We came to karaoke night once, but every other time it had just been to grab a couple drinks. The first time we came out was when I finished my first week at the Sugar Shack. The bar had been dead. We ate the greasy food, drank until we were tipsy, and sang along to our favorite songs until our throats were too raw to speak the next day. At the time, I didn’t know she had justleft her abusive ex-boyfriend and was in desperate need to have fun. To be free.

It was the first time I felt like I’d belonged here, like I hadn’t made a total mistake leaving Ohio. She’d made me feel welcome, introducing me to everyone like we’d been lifelong friends. That was when I decided she was my best friend.

I’d never had one before, and I was glad she was my first and only.

A curvy woman with fire engine red hair appeared from thin air and threw her arm around Trinity’s shoulders as she sank onto the stool beside her. Trinity didn’t seem alarmed at all as she let out a loud, excited scream and wrapped her arms around the other woman.

“I didn’t think you were gonna make it!” she shouted, and the woman flashed her a grin.

“Like I’d miss trivia night. We have to take those fuckers down.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, and I followed the movement, finding a small group of men in the opposite corner glaring at us. “They’re our rivals.”

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