Page 94 of Summer Ever After
“Jane, what’s going on?”
I straighten, ready to blurt my lifelong secret. “I might have a small crush on your brother.”
I’m starting off slow with the truth, and I’ll add to it as we go. There’s no sense in dropping the atomic bomb ofI’ve loved your brother my whole lifeat the beginning of the conversation. We can ease into that revelation.
“Noooo, Jane. Nooooo.” The disapproval in her voice is enough to break me.
“I promise I’m your friend first and that I’m not using you to get to him.”
“Would you stop with that? I don’t care about any of that.”
My brows lift. “You don’t?”
“No, we have years of friendship behind us, proving you’re not using me to get to Walker.”
“Then why did you sound so disappointed when I told you I had a crush on him?”
“Because I don’t want to see you end up with a broken heart. Nothing against Walker. I love him. He’s my brother. But I know how he is. He doesn’t take any relationship seriously, and that’s even on a good day. But right now, he’s like a train wreck. His life is in shambles, and you’re here and an easy distraction so he doesn’t have to think about how bad things are going for him.”
I want to shout dramatically, ‘You’re wrong!’ and then hang up the phone, but Capri is not wrong. I think that’s what hurts the most. I know everything she’s saying is true.
“He’s taking advantage of you, Jane. Not intentionally, but you want to fall in love, and he’s a willing participant in your game. It’s classic Walker.”
“You’re right.” I drop my head. “Classic Walker. How did I not see it?”
“I feel bad, like I’ve dashed your hopes and dreams.”
“Not at all.” I smile, even though she can’t see—it’s supposed to make me sound cheery. “Like I said, it was just a crush…the beginnings of a crush, really. Nothing I’ve pinned my hopes and dreams on, so you’re all good there.”
Apparently, I’m good at lying on the spot.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“I just… I don’t want to see your heart get broken. Or have him completely derail your Summer of Jane Hayes because, in a few weeks, he’ll be gone, and then you’ll be left all alone.”
My least favorite thing to be.
“No, nothing’s derailed,” I say enthusiastically.
The second I say the words, I know they aren’t true.
Walker’s kiss demolished any hope I had to find chemistry with someone else this summer.
I’m ruined.
Damaged goods.
I gently rub my finger over my mouth where, forty-five minutes ago, Walker’s lips changed mine forever.
I’m not sure how I can come back from a kiss like that.
“I mean, tonight I got a guy to say, ‘That’s my girl!’ I’m hitting my stride. I can’t give up now.”
“Yeah, see? Things are starting to come together with your plans. Just keep trucking along.”
“I plan to.”
