Page 84 of Under My Skin
She arches an eyebrow and gives me a sideways glance. “He’s what now?”
I point back and forth between the two of us. “Fine with this.”
“Really?” The word falls from her lips full of doubt.
I shrug. “So he says. He said something about not wanting to be the reason either of us is unhappy.”
She furrows her brow, but it relaxes a second later. “Oh.”
“Oh?”
Her mind looks like it’s somewhere else for a moment, but then she blinks. “You know, it’s kind of funny. Last week, I wasdreading coming here. I didn’t know how I was going to survive it, honestly. And now . . . I don’t want to leave.”
“Because you’d have to deal with the fire?”
“Yes,” she says with a breath of laughter, but then her eyebrows pinch. “And no.” Turning to face me, she says, “I kind of want to get to know my parents better.” I pull back, surprised by her answer, and she laughs. “I know. It’s a little lame.”
“I don’t think it’s lame at all.” There’s so much I wish I knew about my dad—so many things I wish I had thought to ask him before I lost the chance. Not even important things. I want to know the mundane things. I want to know what he got written up for at school or what his most embarrassing memory was. It’s the small things that end up making us who we are.
Her expression softens. “And I was excited about our vision for your shop. Things feel unfinished here.”
I shift to face her. “Then stay. Finish what you started.”
Her eyes search my face before they dip to my mouth. “Everything I started?”
The way she’s looking at me has my heart thudding in my chest, and I laugh nervously. “If it’s what you want. I mean, I think you could figure?—”
Lucy kisses me, and all the rising chaos in my body settles. Placing a hand on her cheek, I kiss her back. God, I love everything about her. Simon can say what he wants, but I’ll never hurt her. I’ve never been so sure about anything.
We break the kiss, and movement in the front window catches my attention. I only manage to catch a glimpse of blonde hair before she ducks out of sight, but I laugh anyway. “I think your mom just caught us.”
Lucy glances over her shoulder and shakes her head. “Oh, she’s going to love this.”
“Yeah?” I tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear, noticing the way my tattoos contrast with her perfect ivory skin. Simon’s parents have always treated me like another son, but I can’t helpwondering if I’d be good enough for their daughter in their eyes. The thought strikes a nerve, but it only lasts a second. As soon as Lucy’s hand cups my own, holding it to her face, my thoughts clear.
“Trust me,” she says earnestly. “They’re both going tolovethis.”
I kiss her, and I’ll never get sick of the way her lips soften to mine. When I pull away, I tap on the phone in her hand to check the time. The shop has been open for almost an hour. “I should get back and see what Hal’s up to today. Want to come? Or I can take you to the airport if that’s still your plan.”
Lucy’s phone lights up with a call, the name Allison displayed on the screen. She glances down at it and shakes her head. “You go. I’ll take this and try to figure everything out.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” Getting to my feet, I kiss her forehead, and she smiles up at me. It’s such a simple gesture, but seeing her look at me that way might make my heart spasm.
I head down the driveway, get on my bike, and start the engine. She’s on the phone now, talking to Allison, but she still waves right before I pull away. Once my bike pulls onto the main road, I grin beneath my helmet. This morning, I thought falling for Lucy Blake was a terrible mistake, but it’s not. If anything, I think falling for her might be the best thing I’ve ever done.
Chapter Forty-Five
LUCY
Pressingthe phone to my ear, I wave to Everett as he drives off. “Hey, everything okay?” I ask, already knowing it’s a loaded question.
“Ah! You answered. Does this mean you were already on a plane, or have you not gotten on a plane yet?”
I let my head fall into my hand, the reality of my apartment coming back at full force. “I have not gotten on a plane yet. I’m sorry, I should have texted back. It’s been . . . a morning.”
“She hasn’t gotten on a plane yet,” she whispers to someone else—probably Dina.
There’s a muffled voice in the background, and Allison interprets the question. “Have you bought your ticket?”
