an alpine meadow aglow with fireflies.
My world turned upside down. My heartbeats slowed behind the paper. But inside my mind, my thoughts raced. One on top of the other, a flurry of memories came to me.
Bryan walking me home. Bryan looking out for me. Gentle, protective, smiling, serious, even frowning. Bryan wasn’t just in the memory reel. He was the reel. And I knew what I felt for him was deeper than desire.
“You okay?” he asked, his smile fading.
“Yeah, sure. I just wasn’t expecting anything. You caught me off guard.”
He glanced pointedly at the paper. “Read it.”
“Okay.” I did, and my racing heart screeched to a stop when I realized he’d paid for an SAT prep course for me. “I can’t accept this.”
“It’s done. No refunds, only rescheduling. And we both know there’s no more time left for you to do that.”
“Oh, Bry. Wow.” I threw myself at him, twining my arms around his neck. “Thank you.”
Ducking my head inside his jacket, I laid my cheek against his chest, and his arms came around me. Experiencing his embrace without the wall between us was as significant to me as what he’d done.
Elation lifted my feet from the pavement. Desire pounded hot in my blood. And that feeling that I was only now beginning to acknowledge burned bright like a beacon inside me.
“Can you arrange your hours at the shop to take all the sessions?” His voice sounded funny, a little gruff. Maybe holding me did beacon-type stuff to him too.
“Yes, I can.” I eased back to look at him.
“Good.” His eyes were heavily hooded. Unreadable. “So, you like my gift?” He swirled his thumb in a circle on my lower back, and liquid heat pooled between my thighs.
“It’s the nicest, most thoughtful present anyone has ever given me.”
“That’s not right.”
“It’s me. You know how my life is. No presents on birthdays coming from my mom or my uncle.”
Not even from my brother. He was a guy, a great guy, but Dizzy didn’t do the thoughtful-presents bit.
I glanced up at Bryan through my lashes. “I can never repay you for this.”
“It’s a gift, Lace. It makes me happy to see you happy.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He released me. “So, I’ll see you tonight?” he asked as we resumed walking. “For the between-friends beach birthday celebration?”
“Yes.” I resigned myself to the fact that he might be too honorable to cross any friendship lines, but I certainly wasn’t. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”
War
“I can’t believe we got the gig,” Bryan said. Looking as pleased as I was, he stretched his long legs out into the aisle.
“Our first headlining gig.” I grinned. “Now the music reps have to take notice. We killed it in that tryout.”
“Paid top billing.” Bryan shook his head in disbelief, his eyes aglow beneath the overhead lights. “On a Friday night.”
“This Friday night.” Rocking side to side, I sat on a bench on the opposite side of the train from him. I leaned forward, propping my elbows on my knees, just about to ask him a question, when his cell pinged again.
Dropping his chin, he glanced at the display. His lips curved, and I frowned.
Bryan had been getting texts all night. Each time he read the messages, he smiled that same secret smile. I had a bad feeling it was Lace texting him. It was her birthday. She was seventeen today, and I’d have been naked with her right now if . . .
I had a terrible thought to go along with the bad feeling.
Did Bryan have similar plans with her?
We’d had words about her on Monday. He denied having feelings for her, but I knew he was into her. She was sexy and sassy with a dash of sweet vulnerability that made you want to be her champion. All the guys at school were halfway in love with her.
Was Bryan taking advantage of our breakup to make a move?
When she was mine, I trusted—no, I knew—he wouldn’t cross the line. But what about now?
“If you want to get her back, I wouldn’t wait too long.”
Sager was right. I’d been stewing on his advice all week, the part that made sense. I thought I had time, but time was running out if Bryan was pursuing Lace, because it wasn’t just him having a thing for her. I’d seen Lace get starry-eyed over him, as if he were somehow better or different from me.
Angry. Damaged. Prone to dark emotions. He and I were both products of our upbringing. My damage was