“You like your alone time now, huh?”
Lucas shrugs a little. “I’m used to it.”
I could ask for my compass back. That was the deal we made. He had to come back; if nothing else, to return my compass and get his father’s baseball cap back.
“Stay the summer,” Madoc suggests. “Almost anyone can work remotely now, and she could use you here.”
I see Lucas turn and glance over his shoulder at me. “Uh…” He shifts back to Madoc. “I have to get back as soon as possible, actually.”
No.
He turns a little again, and I know he’s staring at me. I raise my eyes, locking with his.
“Sorry.” He laughs at himself a little as he stares down at me. “It’s just… I used to have a hat like that.”
I can’t talk. I can’t blink. I just peer up at him.
Madoc takes his drink. “You hadthathat. That’s Quinn, dude.”
Lucas’s face falls, and Madoc hooks an arm around my neck, planting a kiss on the side of my head. I can’t seemto remember my own language, all of a sudden. I thought maybe he recognized me earlier when he stared, but judging from the look on his face, he’s surprised.
“Hey, guys,” Madoc calls to Jared and Jax, leaving to go talk to them.
I stand there, managing to hide how hard my heart is beating.
Lucas blinks, and here—now—I know that nothing was better in my memory. I loved his longer hair as a young guy, and his lazy clothes when he loved rock climbing and being a lake bum, but I can see his blue eyes better now, striking with his hard jaw and sun-kissed skin. I drop my gaze to the crisp white shirt and tie wrapped tightly around his neck.
“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you,” he says.
I swallow. “It’s been a…a long time.”
He doesn’t have social media. The only pictures of him I’ve seen are from events posted to their company’s socials or news sources.
He breaks into a grin, shaking his head as he comes in. “My big brother’s little sister.” He hugs me. “How are you doing?”
I rise to my tiptoes as my eyes fall closed. He smells like one of the stores my mom takes me to that has a dress code. It’s been so long since I’ve felt his arms, and tears spring to my eyes, I missed him so much.
His hands rest lightly—appropriately—one on the back of my shoulder, the other wrapped around my waist. But his neck presses into my cheek, and my lips part on their own, wanting to feel the smooth, warm skin too. I almost tighten my arms around him.
But I quickly pull away. “I’m...sweaty. Sorry.”
I lick my lips, hearing my brothers chat, and I know he can see how nervous I am. All the times I envisioned his return home, I can’t believe the moment is now.
I clear my throat. “So, how long are you around?”
I know the answer. I heard him tell Madoc and someone on the phone.
But his smile drops, and he thins his eyes a little, gazing at me. “I don’t know...”
The vein in his neck throbs steadily, and I take it back. I don’t really like his suit. I liked him with messy hair and no shirt, like that day at the summer camp.
“Uh, how old are you now?” he asks. “Twenty-ish?”
“Twenty-one.”
“In college then?” he presses.
I open my mouth, but then Madoc is there, with his arm around me.
