“Shit.” Jamie waited to walk behind Kell-i and Kell-y once their throws were complete.
I passed my role off to Bobby and started the trek toward the water, ensuring the girls’ area was also clear. He powerwalked his way to the lake, dodging trees as I jogged to catch up.
“This is so embarrassing.” His hands were clenched into fists.
I wanted to laugh because he looked like a toddler not getting his way, but it wasn’t the time. “What are you doing here?”
He did a double take. “What amIdoing here? What areyoudoing here?”
It wasn’t a crazy question. The last time I saw him, I’d planned to become a doctor, but now that sounded as optimistic as a kid saying they would be an astronaut. Ten years had passed since our surprising breakup via an impersonal phone call, and it seemed like a lifetime ago.
“Well, I’m not throwing axes into lakes, that’s for sure.” I didn’t care if I sounded like a petulant child. Did I see the hint of a smile?
We found our way to the ax’s resting place near the rocks.
“I didn’t throw it into the lake. That’s… lake adjacent.” The level of arrogance in that sentence would be astounding if I hadn’t known the man in our formative years. It’d been charming back then, but now I knew he meant it.
It was amazing how cocky he could sound afterthatthrow, but that was Jamie. He had confidence and swagger. He was the homecoming king, the guy everyone looked to for ideas for the next fun thing to do, and he wore it well. He was playful, the class clown who also turned out to be the most challenging person to debate. And the most stubborn. That part, at least, was proving to be true.
I shook the thing so he could see. “It’s wet.”
He placed his hands on his hips. “Aren’t you supposed to be at Stanford?”
“I’m almost thirty. Areyoustill in college?” Ha! Point, Autumn.
His shoulders fell as if he felt even more embarrassed. If he was going to get information out of me, he’d have to do better than that.
I wasn’t about to make things easier on him. “So, Jamie, how’s your life been since you kicked me to the curb?” Oops.
“I prefer not to have this conversation when you’re holding a weapon.” His captivating smile came out.
My knees weakened just a little bit. Goddamn that handsome bastard. “You’re right. Why don’t I just throw it into the lake?”
“Autumn.”
“Jamie.”
Just say it. “What are you doingherewhen you have a degree from Stanford?”He didn’t know I didn’t finish. He didn’t know anything about me. Not anymore.
“I didn’t realize you would be here. I didn’t expect—”
I analyzed the words he didn’t say. If he’d known I was here, he probably wouldn’t have come. And that hurt.
I cleared my throat. “Things have changed.”
“And I’d like to hear about them,” he started. “And I guess I’d like to apologize for…”
You guess?
“It’s been ten years. You don’t need to apologize, and we don’t have to get past anything. I’m over it.” I smiled my bestI’m over itsmile. I avoided his gaze, which meant I had nowhere else to look but his biceps. He had much more muscle than before. And damn, did the ten years difference look good on him.
His eyes, however, were on my thigh tattoo, a wildflower piece about ten inches long that started at the low part of my hip. I tugged at my jean shorts, but they didn’t cover the thing entirely, so I gave up.
“It’s really, really nice to see you.”
Did he think I didn’t pick up on that extra really? Because I really, really did.
I rolled the ax handle between my fingers, and he stared at my hand, slightly scared. I rolled it again and extended the handle to him. He didn’t take it. Smart.
