Page 38 of The Wrong One

“Ramsey…” He sighed.

“No, no.” I shook my head. “Not that. I’m just not sure I should see a scary movie. They give me nightmares.”

He smiled. “I’ll protect you.”

“Just like you did that night? You were such a big softy. You took pity on me. I was so embarrassed at first, but you made it better. Ramsey gave me hell for a week about it. Every time you guys went out he made me stand on the doorstep so he could see me. He was so afraid I was going to sneak into his backseat again.”

“We both were,” he said. “I never wanted to mess around in that truck. I was always convinced you were going to pop up out of the back or something. I looked under the blankets he kept stashed in there a good ten times.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I think that’s what they call a cock block, right?”

He groaned. “You can never say that again.”

I laughed harder. “Yes, I would love to go get scared to death at a movie that’s probably older than I am.”

“I don’t have a truck, so we’ll have to make do with my Mercedes.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I smiled. “I can’t wait.”

ChapterSixteen

Cam

Ikept an eye on the clock. I was looking forward to my date that wasn’t a date. I didn’t want to ruin my friendship with Ramsey or Izzy. This trip to the drive-in was nothing more than friends.

She needed to get out. If she sat home another Saturday night, there was a good chance Patrick would hound her. I didn’t want her to feel like he was the only option. If she was getting out and staying busy, she wasn’t going to think about him.

The week had been uneventful. No tears. No panic attacks. Izzy seemed to be getting into a new groove. She was kicking ass at work. I was happy to see her fitting in with the rest of the staff and being more confident in what she did.

I grabbed my wallet and keys and left the apartment. I was looking forward to seeing her. Like actually seeing her outside the lab. We could just be us. We didn’t have to worry about Ramsey walking in on us. Not that we ever did anything, but we did talk and sit close, and I was sure there were some looks that passed between us. Getting to be alone with her in my car with no one who would know us was very appealing.

I knocked on Izzy’s door and waited. She opened the door and smiled, looking stunning in a simple white sundress and her hair tied back in a messy bun.

“Ready?” I asked.

“I think so,” she replied. “Just tell me it’s not a total slasher flick.”

“Honestly, I didn’t even look to see what was playing. I figured we would show up and play it by ear.”

“That’s bold.” She laughed.

I shrugged. “We can always turn the station and just listen to the radio.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she said.

We stopped at a market and bought plenty of snacks then headed to the rundown, but still charming, theater.

As I drove toward the drive-in, I couldn’t help but feel the anticipation building up inside me. I had known Izzy for years, but I had always kept my feelings in check. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, but something about tonight felt different. Maybe it was the fact that we were finally going to be alone together, with no distractions or interruptions.

I reminded myself of her brother. Ramsey was my best friend. He would kick my ass if he knew I was having thoughts about Izzy. I had to keep it in the friend zone.

We arrived at the drive-in and found a spot close to the screen. I turned off the car, and we sat in silence for a moment. I could feel the tension between us, and I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination. I glanced at Izzy and saw that she was looking out the window, lost in thought.

“Do you want to get in the backseat?” I asked.

She raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

I grinned. “Get your mind out of the gutter. It’s comfortable.”

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