Page 65 of Ignite

Lily returns, bright-eyed and bouncing.

“Good news?”

“Yes! He wants a showing next month!”

“I’m proud of you.” And I mean it.

“And I am of you. Now—are you taking me for a proper spin in Conan’s car or what?”

Just the sound of his name makes my cheeks flush.

“You really gotta bang him, Hallie. Get this flustery mess out of your system.” She waves her hands at me like I’m some lovesick princess.

“We’re friends. That’s it. Let’s not complicate it. And my boss is his brother. It’s messy.”

She rolls her eyes.

“I give it a week.”

I tilt my head. “A week?”

“Yeah. Until you two finally bang.”

I glance around before muttering, “Lily, I think he will literally ruin me.”

She spits out her drink, laughing.

“Fuck. Off. That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. You want him to ruin you. That’s the whole point. Jesus, Hallie. Your choice in men before Conan needs a goddamn case study.”

“Hey! They were all hot.”

She snorts. “Yeah, hot but shit in bed. Pointless. Now you’ve got hot and a sex god, and you’re what, friends? That’s not the Hallie I know and love.”

I swallow the lump in my throat.

“It’s been a rough couple of years. I’m trying to find my groove again. I like Conan as a friend. I don’t want to ruin that. If we sleep together… I don’t know. He might not want me around anymore.”

“He’s not a one-and-done guy.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Does he look at you like he’d burn the city to the ground for one smile?”

I bite the inside of my cheek.

“I think so.”

I know so.

“Don’t you think it’s time to do something just for you again? Stop overthinking for a second? And give him some credit. I think he’s obsessed with you.”

Lily’s been with me through everything. The worst of it. Lily’s the one person in my life who’s never left. She’d drag me out of hell if she had to and never judge me for ending up there in the first place.

Everyone needs a Lily in their life.

“If I could turn off the four thousand thoughts in my brain, trust me, I would.”

That’s half my issue. My brain never stops. Sometimes it’s amazing. I can juggle a million things at once, ace anything academic, and dive into any creative pursuit.

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