Page 96 of Just One Season
Lucy twists her body to face me. I’m so happy to be in her orbit again. She’s warm and sweet, and I would do just about anything to kiss those lips.
“Kellen?”
“Yeah?” I’m staring at her mouth.
“I—” she starts, but her phone vibrates next to her and Raleigh’s name pops up. “I’m gonna take this in my room.”
She jumps off the couch and disappears down the hallway to the guest bedroom. I’m deeply disappointed but don’t have time to dwell as Bri plops down next to me.
“So,” Bri says.
“So.” I raise my eyebrows.
“I had some thoughts.” She glances to where Lucy just walked off. “About Lucy.”
“Okay, what now? And since when did you join the Kellcy Fake Dating Planning Committee?”
“First of all, that name is perfect. I’m glad you’re embracing it and all of this. I can’t believe I wasn’t invited to the other meetings.” Bri pouts her lips.
I sigh and look up at the ceiling, praying for this conversation to be over.
“Seriously though. I think that this thing you have going on with Lucy is something.”
My stomach twists. She’s correct. At least from my side. Am I that obvious? Am I even trying to hide it?
“Why would you say that?” I attempt to protest.
“These days, you spend a lot of time staring at your phone with a goofy smile.” Bri cocks her head. “And you practically skipped over to my house the other day. And told Ava another story about that dog.”
“She loves dogs!”
“Listen. I know she’s leaving. And I know you have issues with trusting people. Women.”
I make a noncommittal sound as all the words stick in my throat.
“But don’t hold yourself back from something good because of me and Ava,” Bri says. “Don’t worry about the future for now. Go to D.C. and let yourself go a little, okay? Have some fun.”
Shit. I’d love to, but I can’t change the plan now. We did what we needed to do. It’s almost all done. It’s supposed to be over.
“It doesn’t have to be love, Kellen, or permanent, or long-term. See where this goes.” Bri’s voice is gentle.
“It’s not love.” Of course it’s not love. I shake my head, trying to convince myself more than anyone else, but Bri is already getting off the couch.
I stay seated by myself, thinking aboutwhat she said.
What if I did let myself go a little with Lucy? Let myself have fun with her in D.C., really play up the part of her boyfriend in front of her father? See how it goes?
It wouldn’t hurt anyone. Like Bri said, I’ll just not think about the fact that she’s trying to move to England. Hell, who knows if that’s even happening still? She doesn’t talk about it much.
Maybe she’s changing her mind.
I feel like I can trust Lucy, which probably means I should run screaming.
I already decided I shouldn’t trust anyone in my life besides my tiny inner circle of people. Even my own mother betrayed me.
But maybe Lucy is different.
I stand and slip down the hallway toward Atticus’s guest bedroom. Lucy’s room. I knock the back of my knuckle gently on the door and it opens a second later.
