Page 81 of I Can't Help It

If Luke needs me to keep things low-key, then I will.

I can totally be discreet.

JUST THE TWO OF US

Luke

“Should we have a code word for him?” Ava asks with a playful smile. “Maybe a type of food or something like that? An animal? A color?”

I’m too busy panicking to answer her.

How could this happen? Why is Wyatt HERE of all places? Is this the universe’s way of punishing me for going behind my best friend’s back with his gorgeous ex-girlfriend?

Karma is obviously not a cat purring in my lap, or however that song goes.

“Luke?”

We can’t stay here like this. What if Wyatt sees us?

“I think I’m ready to get up,” I mumble, grabbing the heating pad from my leg. “My butt is falling asleep.”

I should’ve kept that last part to myself.

“Yes, of course!” She stands to her feet, and then helps me do the same. “Is your leg cramping at all?”

Not enough for me to be worried about it anymore. We have a bigger problem now, and his name is Wyatt Clooney Pierce.

Yes, that’s his real middle name.

Wyatt’s parents have been happily married for more than thirty years, but his mom has never bothered to keep her all-time favorite Hollywood crush a secret.

“It’s fine.” I resist the urge to wrap my arms around her. “I’m fine.”

I’m not fine.

Ava lets go of my arm, but she stays close as we walk down the hallway.

“So, I guess we’ll change clothes and freshen up before checking out the festival activities for today?”

“Yeah,” I say, trying not to think about Ava taking off her clothes, “that sounds good. I’m going to write some notes down too.”

“In your super official black notebook?” she teases, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

“That’s exactly why I bought it,” I drawl as we near the lobby, “because it was advertised as super official.”

She proceeds to laugh, and I wish I could get lost in the sound, but I find myself looking around for any signs of Wyatt instead. As far as I can tell, he’s nowhere to be found.

That doesn’t make me relax though. Honestly, I’m just expecting him to jump out at any given second.

Why didn’t he tell me that Maren was planning a family getaway for them? Wyatt isn’t one to spare details, even when you want him to. Like the time he told me one of his work horror stories about a gym member who didn’t use the treadmill safety clip. She ended up with a bloody nose, a sprained wrist, bruised knees, and a mild concussion.

I’ve been too scared to even look at a treadmill ever since then.

“Luke?” Ava asks, standing on the first step of the staircase. “You coming?”

“Uh-huh.”

Don’t stare at her legs.

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