Page 118 of Someday Away

He scoffs. “Trey, I’m always nice.”

“Hi,” Charlie says haltingly, as she puts her coat down on the chair next to me. Her small fingers tap the table in rhythm to the music, slowing as the song changes over to Collective Soul’s “The World I Know.” “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Jeremy raises one perfect silver eyebrow. “Have you now?”

Her eyes flick to mine and then over to Link before her cheeks redden slightly. The look was so quick most peopleprobably wouldn’t have noticed, but Jeremy’s nothing if not perceptive. He smiles wickedly and looks over at me with raised brows.

“Interesting,” he says quietly.

I sigh.That’s going to bite me in the ass later.

Charlie takes a long pull of her drink and eyes Jeremy before stepping closer to me, her body language stiff and possessive, and I can’t hide my smile because it reminds me of the way Link moves around her when he’s jealous—like he’s stalking some sort of prey. And fuck if it’s not the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. A strange warm feeling flutters my stomach, and I realize this must be what butterflies feel like.

That’s a first.

One of Charlie's hands starts to move like she wants to touch me, but then she seems to realize what she’s doing and stops, dropping it to her side.

Jeremy’s grin widens with understanding, and he raises his hands. “Don’t worry, kitty,” he says, his ocean eyes dancing with mirth when her brow furrows in confusion at his nickname. “I’m not interested in this one. He’s all yours.”

She relaxes and glances at me guiltily. I take a slow drink of my beer and give her a wink.

“So you guys went to high school together, huh?” She smiles shyly. “Tell me what Trey was like.”

Jeremy's eyes light up, and I groan. “Oh, I’ve got some stories for you.”

LINCOLN

I felt her the moment she entered the room, her eyes burninginto me like they were tunneling right into my soul, but I refuse to acknowledge her. My control has been slipping all night, and I feel like I’m finally barely holding onto my old grumpy self by my fingertips, and if I let us share that loaded look across the room, it’ll be all over. I’ll push her against the wall, lift her into my arms, and claim her as mine for everyone to see—and I won’t be able to stop. Despite the distance I’ve tried to keep, I can’t cling to the darkness anymore. She lights parts of me I didn’t even know still existed.

She’ssunshine personified. My sunshine.

Whether she’s around me or not, I find myself smiling more. Laughing more. Just enjoying my life like a normal twenty-something.

I flex my fingers around the pool cue clutched to my chest and watch Serenity as she considers the balls on the table.

“Why suddenly so tense?” she asks with a small smile. “Your girl just arrived.”

“She’s not my girl.” I flick her playfully on the nose.

It’s not a lie. She’s not.

But she will be. Our girl.

Seren gives me a “yeah right” look and lines up a shot, hitting her third stripe in a row into the corner pocket.

“How did I not know you’re a pool shark?” I murmur.

“Because you’ve been too deep in your own damage to see anyone else around you,” she says, not unkindly, but at the same time,ouch.“And don’t change the subject. Tell me why you’re still fighting this?”

I take a breath and glance around. Allison and Margo have been eyeing me like fresh meat all night, but Serenity’s been keeping them in check, for the most part, and they seem distracted now that more people have shown up.

“Since when are you on Charlie’s side?”

She shrugs. “We’re friends now, I think. And as much as it fucking kills me, she’s good for you,” she says with a sour smile.

I know this has to be hard for her. She’s been in love with me our whole lives, and even after I could finally see it, I took advantage of her feelings for years, and the guilt sits heavily in my gut.

“And you didn’t answer my question,” she says pointedly, finally missing a shot.

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