Page 32 of The Problem with Perfect

“I’ve just been wondering recently if I really know anything about love or relationships.”

Stace eyes me thoughtfully. “Do we ever really know anything about love, though?”

The question catches me off guard. “What do you mean?”

“Well…I think the idea that we have to know a lot about love before we can truly experience it is like, I don’t know, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, at least not to me. Love isn’t some tangible thing that has to look perfect in order to mean something. You just have to feel it.”

I purse my lips, thinking it over. Before I can say anything in response, Stace’s smile grows and she looks past me, waving.

I turn, looking over my shoulder, my eyes widening in surprise when I see Rusty walking down the street in our direction. His hand freezes mid-wave when he sees me, and I can only assume he’s as surprised to find me sitting at a table with Stace as I am tobesitting at a table with her.

“Hey, Bellamy,” he says, coming to a stop next to us.

There’s a brief pause, then he leans toward me, dropping a gentle kiss on my forehead, his palm warm on my shoulder. My brain short-circuits as I try to process each component: the proximity of his face to mine, the softness of his lips on my skin, the tingle traveling up my arm at his touch.

I clear my throat, trying to refocus my attention.

“What are you ladies up to?”

“Just a little coffee date,” I answer, finally finding my bearings. “We’re headed to The Vault after this. Stace said Connor is going to be kind of busy this summer working for his dad, so she asked me to show her around a bit.”

Rusty’s eyes stay on mine and his lips tilt up slightly. “How fun for you both” is all he says in reply, and I don’t miss the implied meaning only for my ears.

“And I so appreciate it,” Stace says, her voice bright and enthusiastic. “Being in a new place where I don’t know anyone is harder than I thought it would be. Sorry for stealing her away from you, though.”

She directs the last part at Rusty, and he steps infinitesimally closer. “Nah, I know it’s important for Bellamy to get time doing her own thing. Besides…”

My eyes rise up to look at his, and something dips in my stomach.

“If she’s out here enjoying herself, that means I’ll appreciate it all the more when I get her alone later.” His voice sounds deeper at the end of his statement, and I swallow thickly as Rusty leans down and presses his lips against my temple. “You two have fun.” His voice is low enough to seem meant only for me but loud enough for Stace to hear. “Call me when you’re done.”

He bids Stace goodbye before heading off in the direction of whatever errand brought him to Main Street in the first place. My eyes follow him until he disappears into a store at the other end of the block, my mind scrambling over our interaction, trying to figure out what that was—not only the way Rusty whispered in my ear, but my own reaction to it…to the whole thing. I can still feel his hand on my arm and his lips against the crown of my head.

“Damn, girl. You’ve got it bad.”

I blink a few times, giving Stace a small smile even though embarrassment races through me at having been caught staring after Rusty—not that I have a reason to be embarrassed. I mean, we’re supposedly dating, right? It’s only natural for me to watch him with longing, to eye him up and down as he walks away.

Even so, I feel caught, because watching Rusty’s retreating form wasn’t for show. It wasn’t for anyone else.

We finish up at Ugly Mug not long after that and mosey down to The Vault, but my mind doesn’t absorb any of the records as I distractedly flip through the cases. Instead, it stays firmly on that interaction with Rusty.

I guess I finally understand the appeal. It’s a heady thing to have his focus placed on you, to be the direct recipient of the charm that has gotten him into the pants of many a lady. Something within me doesn’t like that thought, and I groan as I get into my car later, headed for home to change before I have to go into work at Lucky’s.

As I drive out of town and up the east side of the lake, I make a promise to myself to nip any shreds of attraction in the bud before they can grow into anything other than amusement at being the subject of his attention. The last thing I need to do is allow myself to confuse Rusty’s very fake interest for anything real.

chapterten

Rusty

“You’re what?”

Jackson could not look more surprised if I told him I was moving to Hawaii to work with sea turtles.

I get it. I’d be surprised if I were in his shoes, too.

“I’m inviting Bellamy to family dinner this week.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets and leans back against the wall, almost like he needs the support.

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