My pickup is parked at the edge of the lot where the lights cast the space in shadow. The other end of the lot has better lighting, nearly blotting out the stars. At least, when we get back to Brookhaven, we’ll see them again.
“Hey Em, I’m going to drop your feet to the ground. Can you lean against my pickup while I get the door?”
“Yes.” She nods and launches off me, pulling my body toward her as she thumps against the side of my vehicle. “Ouch.” She grasps her hip, massaging the area that was slammed into the hard surface.
“Baby, slow down.” I shake my head and rub my hands up and down her arms. “I wasn’t going to drop you. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Tears fill her eyes as she glances at the building behind me. “But I’ve acted like a complete fool tonight. I drank too much. I was stupid enough to dance with a guy who tried to drug me and then managed to take a muscle relaxer by accident. Two muscle relaxers.”
“Babe–”
“Don’t.” Her bottom lip quivers. “I’ll call an Uber to take me home. I’m never going to be able to live this down.” She waves her hand toward me, smacking into my chest. “And here you are, feeling sorry for me. I don’t want your pity. And God forbid if Kaleb hears about this.”
“Stop.” When I cup her cheeks, she wraps her arms around her chest as if to ward off more embarrassment. “Look at me.” Her wet lashes catch a thread of light as she tips her head up.
Clearly, she’s sobered up enough for the guilt to rush in, and she has nothing to feel guilty about. “I don’t pity you. And if your brother says one insulting thing about you, I’ll kick his ass.”
“Why’re you being nice to me?”
“Em….” I shake my head. “I didn’t want to talk about this until tomorrow because I don’t know how much you’ll remember.” One corner of my mouth arches upward. “But that’s okay. I’ll tell you again in the morning.” I stroke my thumbs over her cheekbones.
“What?”
“I….” Don’t freak her out. “I care about you a lot, and not as my best friend’s little sister. When I took you to bed, I meant every second of that. It wasn’t a mistake. It was the closest I’ll ever come to heaven.”
“Really?” Her nostrils flare as her eyes widen. Thankfully, the tears have dried, leaving what I hope is happiness or at the very least shock in their wake. A car door slams from the other side of the high fence that blocks the parking lot from the street.
“Yes, really. I didn’t want you to leave that morning.”
“What about Amanda?” She unlaces her arms and places one hand on my chest where my heart beats erratically.
“There’s nothing going on between Amanda and I.”
“But she messaged you about tonight.”
“Damn it, Em.” I rest my forehead against hers. “I was worried you saw that message, and it looks like I had a reason to be concerned. It wasn–”
“I didn’t mean to see it.” Her hand drops from my chest. “I only saw the top part. I was afraid to see anything else. I didn’t want to see her naked pictures or read what she wanted to do with you.”
Even as I narrow my eyes at her in frustration, a part of me is ecstatic that she was jealous. Is jealous. More than ecstatic. Whether she’s ready to admit it or not, her feelings for me were more than as a one-night stand.
“I should spank your butt for thinking I’d make love to you while planning to take another woman to bed.” After I draw out my cell phone, I scroll to my message with Amanda.
“I don’t need to see it.” She raises her hands in defense.
“I want you to look.” I bring up the string of messages. “I don’t want you to question my intentions.” I flip my phone around. I need her to see that I explained to Amanda that I wasn’t interested. That we were only meeting to discuss her brother. And I was interested in someone else. “Read it.”
Me: I’ll meet with you to discuss your brother, but that’s it. We’re not getting back together.
Amanda: I can get you to change your mind.
Me: No, you can’t. What we had has been over for years, and I’m interested in someone else.
Her eyes scan the screen as she gnaws on her bottom lip and then glances up, wrinkling her nose. Her face is full of chagrin. “Oops.”
“Oops, is right.” I wrap my arms around her and pull her tight against me. “I wasn’t making plans with Amanda. At least, not like you thought. I don’t want her. The only woman I want is you.”
“The plum-colored flowers and the purple Skittles were really for me?”
