Page 88 of Lavender and Linebackers

“Is this the same lake?”

“Yes.”

She lets out a deep sigh. “Can’t say I didn’t see this coming.”

“Are you mad?” I’m nervous to ask her this, but I don’t want to wonder.

“Why would I be mad?”

“You were there. You picked me up and put me back together.”

“I was there. I’m also here now. He might have been a dumb boy, but he is not a stupid man. You two were always going to find your way back to each other, and from what I’ve seen from him, he’s not going to let you go again.”

Warmth spreads through my chest.

“I thought he hated me.”

“Are you kidding? That was foreplay. Since day one, he hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off you. He’s always showing up even when you don’t want him to, and he loves to drive you around. I know he’s texted you some, and whether or not he realizes he was doing it, he’s been trying to reconnect with you for months.”

“He told me he loves me.” I bring my coffee mug to my nose and breathe it in. Strong floral notes. He knows me well.

“Of course he does. You’re the most amazing person I know.”

“Should I be worried?”

“I don’t think so. He bought you a house.”

I look around, and an overwhelming sense of rightness settles in. “He did, didn’t he?”

“I’m going to need to see this house soon. Put my stamp of approval on it. If you’re going to be there, then he’d better expect me to come over and be there too.”

“I think he’s kind of afraid of you.”

She laughs, “He should be.”

“When are you coming home?”

“I’ll be back Sunday night so we can get ready on Monday together.”

“Okay, perfect. Tell your parents I said hello.”

“I will. And Alice, I’m happy for you.”

I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear this from her. If she didn’t approve, that wasn’t going to stop me from being with him, but hearing that she does defuses that tiny bit of uneasiness that I had lingering. Not uneasiness in my feelings for Ryder. It’s that I like all areas of my life to be cohesive.

“Thank you.”

It’s been six hours since Ryder left me, and I’ve enjoyed every second. I would be lying if I said I didn’t snoop around his house, because I did. After all, he did leave me here with his things, and he should know by now that I’m going to use this to my advantage. I’ve finally made my way into his closet, and I’ve tried on a bunch of his clothes. There’s something about being privy to his innermost belongings, and I’ve loved them all—especially the pair of ratty old tennis shoes I found in a box on the top shelf.

“What are you doing?” a deep voice says from behind me.

“AHHHHH! Oh my God!” My hand flies to my chest. “You scared the crap out of me,” I yell at him as my heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest. Felix howls and darts out of the closet and away from us.

“Didn’t you hear me come in?” He grins.

“Obviously, no, I didn’t.” I brush my hair off my face. “Maybe you should think about getting one of those sensors that beeps or something when a door or a window is opened.”

His grin grows, and he rolls his lips between his teeth.