Page 123 of Need You Now

One minute Seth was kissing Lacey, his brain blitzing out and switching off so completely nothing registered. Not where they were or who was around. All that mattered was Lacey and making sure she knew she was the most important thing in his orbit. Making sure he didn’t fuck up the best thing that ever happened to him. Ready to give her the goddamn best forgive me kiss of her life and finding he was dangerously close. Close to saying it.

I love you.

Only she had kissed him first. And he was gone.

Then, from left field, the softest of gasps.

Seth freezes.

Lacey stiffens in his hold. She turns her face, Seth’s lips sliding from her lips to her cheek. Her eyes flash wide, a small yelp leaps out of her mouth as she leaps out of his arms and stares over his shoulder.

Let it be Luke, he thinks. Let it be Emmy Lou. Anyone but Sal catching them in the act. Not with Seth’s lips on her little sister’s mouth.

He stares at Lacey, hoping against hope, but the horrified look on his face tells him everything he needs to know.

They’re caught.

By Sal.

Seth grimaces and turns around to face the firing squad.

Sal and Luke stand there in the opening of the sliding door. Sal’s gaze jumps between Seth and Lacey, her brow crinkled. But Luke hangs back, his solemn expression telling Seth to handle this. And handle it right.

Sal’s the first to speak.

“I, uh, forgot my phone,” she says, stepping around them to grab her cell off the counter. She stands there, studying them, confusion written all over her pretty features.

She looks at Seth first. “You and Lacey?” A bad sign because that means she’s blaming him. Or she’s trusting him. He doesn’t know which is worse.

All he can do is nod.

Sal tilts her dark head, wondering. “She’s my sister, Seth.”

“I know.”

“How?”

He grins. “Well, the whole thing started with alcohol.”

Lacey elbows him. “Seth,” she hisses.

Sal meets his eyes with a steely stare.

His smile, the joke, fades.

They’re best friends. They’ve stood by each other. Kept secrets. Told jokes. But Sal’s face says no more joking. Not now. Not tonight. There’s only her sister and Seth and if what they’re doing means anything.

Seth swallows and steps up. He owes her that. “Sal, listen—”

Sal lifts a hand, closes her eyes. “Don’t talk to me, Seth.”

He snaps his mouth shut, braces his arms back against the counter to hold himself up.

Inside, Seth’s dying a slow death. Christ, if he ruins things between him and Sal. If he loses her ... he’ll never forgive himself.

Briefly, he chances a glance at Luke. His brother’s content to stay out of it, keeping to a corner of the room, his dark eyes on the trio.

Sal cuts her eyes to Lacey. “You tell me.”

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