Page 32 of A Love Song for Dreamers

I let myself in the gate and cross to the cabana. I grab atowel.

When Annie rises up out of the water, shoving her long hair out of her wet face in a way that makes my throat dry, I’m there. “Run out of clean suitsalready?”

Annie takes me in, hands gripping the edge of the pool as her eyes widen in surprise. “It’s late. Needed to clear my head, and I didn’t think anyone wouldnotice.”

“Just my shit-for-brains kid in the studio. You made hisday.”

She smiles, a flash of white in thedark.

Earlier when she told me she was sticking around, I was glad and frustrated atonce.

Because even though there’s nothing between us, sharing the same space with her felt right. As if part of me that’d been missing suddenly clicked back intoplace.

No matter what Jax said, I can coexist with the woman who ripped my heartout.

I can even do it without staring at her ass as she bends under the desk. Or peering over the edge of the pool to see how much of her body is lit by the soft bluelights.

“You coming out?” I asklightly.

“You turningaround?”

“Nothing I haven’tseen.”

“Maybe it’schanged.”

Those three words have me dying to know if she’s right, if she’s different since the last time I touched her, held her, made her pant myname.

I shut my eyes and hold out thetowel.

I hear the sound of water dripping as she shifts out, then her voice, inches away. “Thanks.”

She steps closer, and I wrap her in the towel. “You’re not wrong, though. I only packed for a weekend. I’m going to have to raid my old closet, assuming anything in there stillfits.”

Her breasts are nearly pressed against my chest through the towel, and I imagine using the terry fabric to drag her body againstmine.

“I’ll give you ten bucks to wear your Oakwood uniform for aday.”

She laughs. “Make it twenty and I’ll think aboutit.”

I open my eyes to find her studying me. Water drips over her shoulders, and there’s a drop on the middle of her lower lip I want to brushoff.

It’s hard to remember why I can’t, especially with the visual of her in a pleated skirt and tight shirt firmly in myhead.

“So, how’s it going in the studio with my dad’s protégé?” she prompts, and I force myself to focus as she takes the towel from me and knots it around herbreasts.

“Brutal. Kid’s a pain in the ass. So why’d you need to clear your head? Your dad? Or the boyfriend?” Iask.

The boyfriend was not part of the updates Beck gave me, something he’s going to eat shit for the next time wetalk.

Though now I’m wondering why he didn’t tell me. If he thought I’d be jealous, I’m not. Not evenclose.

I’m over us, but that doesn’t mean I want her with some guy who doesn’t deserve her. And if she’s avoiding him, it means something’swrong.

I will always want the best for her, because I loved her once. For a time that feels boundless, until I remind myself it’sover.

Annie pulls her hair over one shoulder and wrings it out, sending drops of water splattering on thepatio.

“Both,” she answers atlast.

---