Page 96 of Need You Now

From his vantage point on the balcony, Seth watches in silence as two hawks glide through the crisp winter air. Clouds that loom like smoke swirl over the mountains. The sparkling waters of the lake shine bright below.

At the sound of the sliding door, he turns to see Lacey exiting. She shivers at the chill in the air. She’s in boots, ripped jeans, and to his amusement, a camo hoodie.

Seth arcs a brow. “Camo?”

She blushes. Then lifts her chin. “Oh, I’m going country. And next time, I’m gonna put on some bluegrass,” she drawls in a hokey twang, “while I whip up some peach cobbler.”

Seth laughs.

Lacey steps forward in wonder, stopping beside him at the railing, her gaze on the mountains in front of her. “Oh my God, Seth,” she breathes.

“Most amazin’ place in the world.” He grins, unable to tear his eyes from her delighted face. “Call me biased.”

She turns to him, angling her body to his. “It is amazing. I love it here.”

Her honest reaction has his heart flipping over. He and Lacey—they’ve both showed each other the places they love best in the world. The beach, the Smoky Mountains. This is what it’s about. Learning about each other. Lacey loves the place. And he loves her at this place. In Tennessee.

With him.

His eyes drift to the lake, a thin icy frost coating its surface. “Bet you wish that was the ocean.”

“No way.” She feigns a shiver but arches a brow. “Bet I could surf it, though.”

He chuckles. “Better not.”

Lacey groans and he follows her gaze. Down in the backyard, acres and acres of frozen land and firepits, Sal’s running up a steep incline next to the lake. “Sal’s seven months pregnant and can still scale a hill better than me.”

“Which reminds me.” Lacey turns to him, her face harried. “We’re caught. Alabama, she saw me this morning doing the walk of shame back to my room.”

Seth blinks. “That was fast.”

Good, he thinks. It’s about damn time. After last night, he’s far from happy keeping their relationship under wraps. He wants to talk about her like Luke talks about Sal, tell everyone she’s his, kiss her down by the water without worrying who sees. It’s goddamn agony, is what it is.

But he knows they need to tell Sal first. Which is one reason it’s taking so long. They’re chickenshits. If he hurts Sal ... if this ruins their relationship ...

Christ. The thought turns his stomach into a pit.

“We have to amp up the hatred.”

Startled out of his thoughts, Seth looks to Lacey. “I never hated you, Lace.”

Lacey’s green eyes slide away from his. “Well, that makes one of us.”

“Wait, what? When?” His grin toys the line between amusement and consternation.

She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. Gives an Oscar-worthy eye roll. “You were Sal’s best friend, and you had fantastic hair and impeccable eyelashes. What’s not to hate?”

Seth grins. “I mean, I am kinda a heartthrob.”

Lacey rolls her eyes. “Ugh, you are insufferable.”

A beat, and then Luke’s exiting onto the balcony and—

Lacey slaps him.

It’s light, barely a graze, but Seth stands there blinking in confusion.

“And that’s for using my La Mer moisturizer without asking,” Lacey huffs before whirling on her heel and storming off.

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