“Are you sure?” she mumbles against my black t-shirt.
I know she can feel my chuckle, because she pulls back with a minuscule smile of her own.
“Yeah,” I assure her. “I agreed to be in this situationwithyou. Plus, why would I say no to a free vacation?”
She swats my arm, but she perks up.
“Oh,” she says. “I forgot I got you something for the plane.”
I cock my head as she rifles through her wide purse. She withdraws a medium-sized leather bound notebook and holds it out. Pink stains her cheeks, but her voice is cool as a cucumber.
I flip the soft brown cover open to find that it’s not a notebook at all, but a sketchbook. My stomach does some sort of dog trick, rolling over as a wide smile splits my face.
“You got me a sketchbook?”
She fiddles the ends of her long hair. “Yeah, I remember how much you liked sketching, and I thought since you’re going out of your way to come on this lame vacation, you shouldn’t have to be bored, too.”
I’m beyond touched that she remembered such a small detail about me from our time together.
She pulls a small pack of fine-grade pencils from her purse and places it into my palm.
“There,” she says. “Draw me something pretty.”
“Only if I can add bunny ears to it.”
She chuffs a laugh, knocking me on my shoulder as I stow her gifts in my bag. Grabbing the handle of her suitcase, she wheels it to my side as we walk toward the gate. Tentatively, she laces her bare fingers through mine, glancing up at me through the thick fringe of her lashes.
“Is this okay?” she whispers.
It ismorethan okay, but it’s also somehow not enough. I’m still reeling from her thoughtfulness, and the sensation of her skin on mine is overwhelming. The urge to make her blush in return becomes toostrong to ignore. I circle an arm around her waist, haul her against me, and plant a comedically juicy kiss to her surprised cheek.
“Isthisokay?” I breathe against her skin.
Her flustered giggle is worth it, but I don’t have time to revel in it before the sound of clapping interrupts us. We’re much closer to the gate than I realized. Liza claps, beaming at my performance. Kate stiffens the tiniest bit, and I can practically hear her assumption that my kiss was all to sell the charade.
She breaks away to greet Liza, and I blow out a breath.
I didn’t think our situation-ship could get any more complicated, but I think we’ve just achieved the impossible.
KATE
Florida is eighty-one degrees and sunny. At least that’s what the stewardess announced over the plane intercom when we landed. I’m hoping she’s right. After an achingly cold Chicago winter, I’m looking forward to the sun and sand of Marisol Bay.
I’m also desperate to escape H.Y.
I shudder at the text that rolled in right after I switched my phone out of airplane mode.
UNKNOWN: Hope you have a great vacation! I’ll miss you. –Hopefully Yours
I finish washing my hands in the ladies airport restroom before gripping the sink. My anxiety is still sky high, even though I know Brandon is waiting for me outside in the hall. I’m safe here, aren’t I? Safe with him? The more I think about it, the more my chest relaxes. If H.Y. willmissme while I’m gone, it definitely means they won’t follow me to Florida. Right?
Our party of six soon waits impatiently at baggage claim. Brandon finishes showing me the impressive sketch he did on the plane, a sea of clouds and sky, complete with a glowing sun topped with fuzzy bunny ears. I shove the sketch away with a laugh right as Brandon recognizes the orange ribbon shining on the handle of my suitcase. He steps forward and lifts it off the carousel like it’s packed full of feathers andnot a month’s worth of indecisions. He shoots me a covert wink as he places it in front of me.
I have to give him credit; he’s much better at this whole thing than I am. Any stunted conversation I produce, he smooths over with his wit. When my body crawls with anxiety, he calms it with a caress to my left knee and a kiss to my hair. His soft smiles at me aresoconvincing, even I almost believe him.
But I shouldn’t.
Because this is nothing but a friend helping out a friend.
