A scoff broke out of me. “It’ll ruin the impression she has aboutme.” I huffed out a breath and hopped to my feet with an energy I didn’t know what to do with. “I’m the weirdo. I’m nothing like the person I’ve portrayed myself to be.”
“Lincoln,” Claire started.
My stomach churned, and I ran a hand through my hair. “No, don’t. You don’t get it. None of you get it. Claire, you have a warmth people take to. Rose? You’re an anomaly; people trust you within seconds. Children who aren’t even sick want to see Dean”—
I pointed at him, and then my finger swerved to William—“and don’t get me started on that unlawful charmer.”
They froze. Like my words had snapped a photograph of this moment, and we’d all be trapped there because I hadn’t fully explained myself. But I wasn’t good at this. I didn’t know how to explain it. So I kept rambling. “Claire was forced to be my friend growing up. Then she forced me on you guys too. If it wasn’t for her, would we even be friends?”
Claire stood, but I continued. “No, we wouldn’t. Because I don’t know how to make friends. I don’t know how to do this…” I gestured between us, but my movements were jerky. I shoved my hands into my pockets. “I’m really bad at it, which is obviously why I’ve never been in a real relationship.”
“I wasn’tforced,” Claire said, a deep frown forming on her face.
“Right now, I can plan my responses. I can think about them. I can backspace. But in real life? She’ll see how incredibly awkward I am and…” I turned around, not wanting to talk about this anymore. “And she’ll be disappointed.”
The sympathy on their faces let me know how pathetic I must have sounded.
“I need some air. I’m fine, okay?” I walked out of the hotel room and meandered through the hallway, dodging other engineers whomay or may not recognize me. I went down to the pool area, but it was too full of people.
I slipped into the emergency stairwell and went up. And kept going up and up until I reached the roof.
As I pushed open the heavy metal door, a fresh breeze slapped against my heated face, followed by the thick and heavy stench of cigarette smoke.
Regret curled inside me.
I wish I could rewind to before my outburst and erase it. How was I supposed to face them now?
Someone with their head down low stepped onto the roof. Judging from their height, it was Rose, or a child.
She marched toward me. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I took a breath, preparing my apology.
But before I could say anything, her knuckles slammed right in my gut.
I doubled over, clutching my stomach. “What?” I coughed, catching my breath even though her punches weren’t that hard.
She angled her head to look at me properly. “How dare you insinuate we aren’t friends?” She threw another punch, and I jumped backward, but she ran up to me with her tiny, powerful fists. “How dare you insinuate we don’t know and love you as you are?” Another punch.
Dodged it.
“Rose,” I started.
She grunted. “You’re my friend, Lincoln. And I love my friends. And I know Claire is your best friend, and well, she’s one of mine too.” She threw another punch, but this time I caught her hand.
I’d never seen her this furious.
She wrenched it back. “So are Neema and Shaun, and guess what, you are not just my friend—you’re one of my best friends. Iwill be so mad if you don’t feel the same way about me. If I was ever in trouble, I’d callyoubefore I called Claire, because she’s a terrible driver.”
This time, her punch landed because I’d been distracted by the laughter bubbling out of me. “She is awful.” My body shook so hard that I struggled to breathe.
“But don’t tell her I said that,” Rose replied, bursting into a fit of giggles. “She’ll be so angry.” She finally dropped her fists of fury.
We kept laughing, and with each inhale, our laughter grew louder until I worried it would be heard in the presentations below.
“You’d call William first, wouldn’t you?” I asked.
“William? Are you out of your mind? He’d kill everyone in his path to get to me, including possibly himself.”
