Page 69 of Slide

Lucy was quiet for a few minutes. “I have.”

“I guess I don’t blame you.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “At the bar, the other night—”

The toilet down the hall flushed, and the door opened and closed, followed by the sound of retreating steps.

Lucy moved back to the door. “I better get back.”

“Luce…”

“We have nothing to talk about, Adam.” Her gaze darted around the room, anywhere but at him. “I shouldn’t have hidden in your car, forced things between us. You were right. I am reckless. I don’t think things through, but that’s going to change, and I apologize for putting you in that position.” Her eyes finally lifted to his. “Let’s just…we’ll forget anything ever happened, okay?”

Forget? How the hell could he forget? He didn’t want to. What she asked was impossible.

Christ. He hated that she was beating herself up over this, that he’d made her feel that way. That she’d decided he was like everyone else, and saw her like everyone else did. Hugh and Joe loved her, would do anything for her, but they didn’t see Lucy. Not anymore. Not as the woman she was now. They still saw her as the crazy kid, the troublemaker. But Adam saw her, he always had—and then he’d gone and said those things to her in anger after she’d gotten hurt, for what? To shame her into being more careful? To give him some kind of peace of mind?

God, he missed the way she’d looked at him when they were away.

The way she looked at him now was like she didn’t know him at all. He’d done that, put that distance between them.

He opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say, but he had to say something, anything, so she didn’t hate him anymore.

But she shook her head and turned away. “See you around, Adam.”

Then she walked out the door.