Page 107 of Wanted You More

“The guy friend, huh?” Lincoln asks, eyeing my phone as I text Noah back.

Me:I knew you would! We should celebrate soon xx

I put my phone back into my pocket and turn to Lincoln. “Yeah. He’s graduating in a few weeks, so he’s finishing up finals right now. I can’t believe he’s going to be a lawyer. He’s worked so hard for this.”

I’m not quite sure why Lincoln looks so contemplative as we keep walking. The confusion only grows when he asks, “Is that the type of guy you’re into? The lawyer type?”

I let the question soak in for a second and try to dissect the weirdness in his tone. “What do you mean?”

Lincoln rubs the back of his neck. “You just don’t seem like the kind of girl who’d go after guys like that.”

I don’t know what guys he’d expect me to go for, but it may not be too far off from the truth with my history with men. “It isn’t Noah’s career that I’m interested in. It’s him. He could do anything he wants to as long as it makes him happy.”

The boy walking beside me slowly nods, making a humming noise.

I playfully bump him to get him to look at me. “Who do you think I should end up with? A car salesman?”

It takes him a moment to huff out a laugh, but it sounds forced. “That’d be crazy, huh?”

I loop my arm around his. “Depends. Would I get a discount on cars? Because that could have its perks.”

Lincoln rolls his eyes at my banter but sighs reluctantly. “For you, anything.”

Leaning my head against his shoulder, I squeeze his arm and let out a contented breath. “I’m glad we’re friends. This is nice.”

I hear his tongue click. “Can I be honest with you?”

My eyes go up to him. “Always.”

There’s hesitation all over his face before he shakes his head. “I thought you might have been into me at the beginning of the year. You never shot me down when I flirted.”

Well, that’s not totally true. “I never flirted back with you either.” Much. “Be real, Linc. We aren’t a good match. I wouldn’t have treated you the way you deserved if we tried anything.”

He doesn’t say anything for a long time as we walk, making me nervous. There’s a moment of tension that goes through his body before he eases up and finally says, “I’m glad we’re friends too then. That we didn’t fuck it up.”

Relief floods through me. “We should make time to see each other over the summer. All three of us.”

A thoughtful noise escapes him. “I’m sure my brothers wouldn’t mind seeing a new pretty face around.”

Rolling my eyes at the remark, I shake my head. “Always the flirt, aren’t you?”

It’s innocent, so I don’t feel bad about it or weird at how Kennedy could perceive it. That’s just who Lincoln is. She knows that as well as I do.

But when he says, “Only with people I like,” there’s a certain tone to his voice that has me looking up at him.

When he doesn’t meet my eyes, I wonder what he’s thinking.

I don’t ask.

It’s safer that way.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Imay regretthe outfit I chose for the bonfire later on, but I remind myself that I look good in the tight leather pants and edgy crop top with bright red lips printed on the center of it that matches the color on my own. I didn’t feel like tripping and breaking my ankles in the red heels I wanted to wear, so I opted for bejeweled black combat boots that Kennedy said made me look like I was in a motorcycle gang.

Picking a piece of lint from her dress, I give her an approving nod. “You look hot. Likeh-a-w-thot.”

Kennedy runs her fingers through her hair, which I helped her straighten. “I feel it tonight. Thanks for letting me borrow the dress.”

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