ASPEN
C’mon, Sutton. You know you want to.
ME
Ugh FINE. I’m assuming the boys are going?
REAGAN
Duh. You think Finn would let me go out alone?
ASPEN
Or Crew?
ME
So my roommate was already planning on going out?
REAGAN
yes. I’m surprised your ROOMMATE didn’t ask you to come himself.
Personally, I wasn’t all that shocked. Even though it was my birthday tomorrow, Lane had spent those early hours of my twentieth in the hospital with me. He’d known how much trauma I had tied up in the day and would do what he could to spare me.
Before I could respond to the girls, a soft knock came on my bedroom door.
“Come in.”
The door opened slowly, and Lane stuck his head in through the gap, smiling at me.
“Hey you.”
“Hey,” I grinned back.
“So, you can totally say no if you want to because I know these couple of days probably bring up a lot of shit for you, but we’re going out tonight, and I wanted to see if you’d join us?”
I wiggled my phone. “Aspen and Reagan beat you to it.”
He cursed lowly, and I laughed. “Well, are you coming?”
Taking a deep breath, I slowly got to my feet and smoothed my clammy palms over my pants at my thighs. “Yes.”
A grin split Lane’s face damn near in half, and I couldn’t help matching it.
“I’ll take care of you, sunny. You know that, right?”
I nodded, emotion clogging my throat. “It’ll be okay.I’ll be okay.”
“We’ll head out at like nine?”
“I’ll be ready.”
The Swallow was notthe kind of place you got fancy for, New Year’s Eve or not. Plus it was cold as hell, snowing, and I was no longer in my twenties. I dressed comfortably in my favorite pair of jeans that made my ass look incredible, and a ribbed tank with a cardigan thrown over top that I could remove when I inevitably got too hot at the bar.
I rarely drank, but I alsoneverwent out on New Year’s Eve, so when Finn, oblivious to the trauma I’d suffered in my past that surrounded this night like a shroud, asked what I wanted, I boldly ordered a beer.
Lane’s hand found my leg beneath the table, and he leaned close to speak in my ear to be heard over the din. “You don’t have to do that.”
