Page 20 of Haunted Hearts
“Oh, yeah? Then what’s that guilty look on your face?”
“I mean, we didn’t have sexproper…”
We stop at the corner, both relishing the coolness of the crisp fall breeze as it swirls around us. Autumn pulls me down onto a bench next to her and turns to me, her green eyes snapping.
“Okay, Lydia. I haven’t been fucked in a year, so you owe it to me as my best friend to spillevery single detail. Got it?”
I blow out my breath. I hate that Autumn is still having to go through her shitty divorce. She shouldn’t have to listen to my wins while she’s in the middle of such a huge loss of her own. But the way she’s leaning back now, arm slung over the back of the bench and wearing this mischievous, eager grin, tells me she’s happy for me. And anyway, it’s not like I’m getting her happily ever after. It’s just sex.
So I launch into it. I tell her how Will came tromping into the mystery section with the ladder balanced on his muscled shoulder, how he started the avalanche of books, and then bolted out of nowhere to keep the ladder from crashing down on my head. I tell her how good his arms looked, holding that ladder up. How he got me up against the wall and made me lose my mind.
I know she asked for all the details, but I hold a few things back. There’s something in me that wants them for myself. But I’m not stupid—I know it was a one-time thing. That ithasto be a one-time thing. Before Dylan, I was never in the habit of letting men get close to me—even ones who aren’t involved in demolishing the last connection I have with Mom—and look howthatturned out. I’m not making that mistake again.
The men in my life don’tdisappear, but they may as well. I barely ever saw Dad, between his nights at the bar and hisweekends at work. And that’s how it’s always been. I’d hoped at the beginning Dylan might be different, but honestly? They’re all the same. They can’t be bothered—not with me. Will Holloway included.
“Gawwwd,” Autumn groans. She lets her head fall back and laughs. “That is so hot. If only that had worked with Patrick. We’realwayspissed at each other.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, rubbing her arm.
“Don’t be—at least I can live vicariously through you. I saw the way Will looked at you at the Farmers Market. Clearly, there were sparks.”
My phone buzzes. As I glance down, Autumn, ever the nosy friend, cranes her neck to see who it is and snorts. It’s Dylan. I haven’t told her he’s been calling me all weekend, no doubt to try to explain things away. I haven’t answered—yet.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Lydia.”
I shield the phone screen with a cupped hand, scan the text. Autumn watches me, her green eyes narrowed.
DYLAN:Hey. You don’t want to talk to me. I get it. But I need you to know, Steph’s just a friend. There’s nothing going on with us. Give me another chance, Lyds. I promise I’ll make things right.
I shove my phone into my pocket. There’s no way I’m letting Autumn know what was in that text. She’d probably throw my phone into the nearest trash can—and honestly, I wouldn’t blame her. Still, there’s a part of me that believes him. It’s not like he and the blonde were holding hands or kissing or anything like that…
Maybe he means what he’s been saying. Maybe I’m the one who’s being harsh.
“Forget about him,” Autumn says. “He’s history. You just got it on with a sexy architect who’s clearly into you.”
I let out a harsh laugh, but I’m glad for the change of subject. “Will isnotinto me. He was just thinking with the wrong head. It was like once we started arguing, all the tension that’s been building between us finally erupted.”
“You meanheerupted,” Autumn says, giving me a smirk.
“Um…”
Autumn sits up straight. “Do you mean to tell me that sexy motherfucker finger banged you until youcame, and then didn’t so much as ask for anything in return?”
I wince at her description. “Pretty much.”
“And you think he’s not into you.” Autumn throws her head back and cackles.
“I don’tthink—Iknow. The only thing Will Holloway wants is to butter me up, so I’ll stop nagging him about changing the design plans.”
“Well,” Autumn says, standing from the bench. She links her arm with mine. “Regardless. You know what they say: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I’d say a good old blow job would fall under the ‘closer’ category, right?”
I elbow her playfully in the ribs. “Gross.”
The problem is, sucking Will Holloway’s cockdoesn’tsound gross. At all. Especially after today, with the way he knew exactly how to stroke me, inside and out.
But it doesn’t matter. Will’s already ripping out a piece of me with his stupid project. No way am I going to let him break my heart, too.
thirteen
