again. “Alright, cut the BS. Tell me everything that happened.” A Cheshire Cat grin spread across her face.
Scarlett heaved out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what happened,” she said as her hands flew up in the air in front of her. “One minute I’m enjoying myself at Buckie’s party, the next I let Phoebe rile me up with tales of her and Luke dating. Then he and I got in a fight, and a couple of hours later we’re making out in the back of his pickup truck.” She flicked her gaze up to Layla, who was waggling her eyebrows with her mouth wrapped around the end of her spoon. “Well? What do I do?”
“What do you mean? You went home with him, right?” Scarlett nodded. “Well, if it was good and you want a repeat, keep sleeping with him.”
Scarlett took a bite of her ice cream and thought for a moment, then placed her spoon back in the bowl. “I can’t do that.”
Layla froze with her spoon halfway to her mouth. “Why not?”
“Because I can’t go there with him again. I’m trying to get my new life off the ground, and there’s way too much history there.”
“Scarlett, it’s clear you still have feelings for him. Why not give him a chance and see where it goes?”
She wished she could confide in her friend about that horrible day a decade ago, but the only two people who knew what had happened were her parents—and they were dead. Scarlett didn’t feel right telling anyone else when Luke didn’t even know. It would feel like an even bigger betrayal.
“I know you don’t understand, but you have to trust me when I say that I can’t make him happy in the long run.” A lump formed in her throat that was painful to swallow around. “Luke deserves to be happy.” She shoved the spoon back into her ice cream and brought it to her mouth.
Layla reached across and grabbed her free hand. “You deserve to be happy, too.” A sad smile played at the corners of her mouth.
Great. Now tears were gathering in her eyes. “And I will be…someday.”
Across the table, Layla nodded. “You’ve had a rough couple of years, Scarlett. I get it. Maybe it’s time to have a little fun though.” She released Scarlett’s hand and shrugged. “Who says things with you and Luke have to be serious? You could hang out, spend some time—a lot of time—in bed, take it as it comes. Pun fully intended, by the way.” She winked mischievously.
Layla had a point. Didn’t Scarlett deserve a little happiness? She just wasn’t sure something between her and Luke could be anything other than all in and intense as hell. Not after her reaction to the decade-old news she heard last night. Which reminded her…
“I have a bone to pick with you, missy. Why didn’t you tell me Luke and Phoebe went out?” Scarlett crossed her arms in front of her.
Layla ducked her head, looking sheepish. “What good would it have done?” She spared a glance back up at Scarlett and shrugged. “You’d left town and made it clear that you were never returning. I tried to bring him up once right after you left, and you almost bit my head off. After that, I avoided any and all conversation relating to the guy.”
She let the words sink in for a moment and realized their truth. “I guess you have a point,” Scarlett said begrudgingly. “In the future, if there is something you think I should know, please just tell me so I’m not blindsided.”
Her friend nodded. “Will do. Though it seems it worked out okay for you, based on that post-sex glow you’ve got going on.”
Scarlett laughed and crumpled up the napkin on the table, tossing it at her friend. “Very funny.”
“At least think about it,” Layla said, almost pleading. “A little fun would be a good thing for you.”
“Alright. I’ll think about it.” And she would. God knows she’d be thinking about Luke anyway.
A n hour later , Scarlett was returning to her parked car on Main Street just down from Paper Hearts. She’d needed to go to the small stationary
Scarlett heaved out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what happened,” she said as her hands flew up in the air in front of her. “One minute I’m enjoying myself at Buckie’s party, the next I let Phoebe rile me up with tales of her and Luke dating. Then he and I got in a fight, and a couple of hours later we’re making out in the back of his pickup truck.” She flicked her gaze up to Layla, who was waggling her eyebrows with her mouth wrapped around the end of her spoon. “Well? What do I do?”
“What do you mean? You went home with him, right?” Scarlett nodded. “Well, if it was good and you want a repeat, keep sleeping with him.”
Scarlett took a bite of her ice cream and thought for a moment, then placed her spoon back in the bowl. “I can’t do that.”
Layla froze with her spoon halfway to her mouth. “Why not?”
“Because I can’t go there with him again. I’m trying to get my new life off the ground, and there’s way too much history there.”
“Scarlett, it’s clear you still have feelings for him. Why not give him a chance and see where it goes?”
She wished she could confide in her friend about that horrible day a decade ago, but the only two people who knew what had happened were her parents—and they were dead. Scarlett didn’t feel right telling anyone else when Luke didn’t even know. It would feel like an even bigger betrayal.
“I know you don’t understand, but you have to trust me when I say that I can’t make him happy in the long run.” A lump formed in her throat that was painful to swallow around. “Luke deserves to be happy.” She shoved the spoon back into her ice cream and brought it to her mouth.
Layla reached across and grabbed her free hand. “You deserve to be happy, too.” A sad smile played at the corners of her mouth.
Great. Now tears were gathering in her eyes. “And I will be…someday.”
Across the table, Layla nodded. “You’ve had a rough couple of years, Scarlett. I get it. Maybe it’s time to have a little fun though.” She released Scarlett’s hand and shrugged. “Who says things with you and Luke have to be serious? You could hang out, spend some time—a lot of time—in bed, take it as it comes. Pun fully intended, by the way.” She winked mischievously.
Layla had a point. Didn’t Scarlett deserve a little happiness? She just wasn’t sure something between her and Luke could be anything other than all in and intense as hell. Not after her reaction to the decade-old news she heard last night. Which reminded her…
“I have a bone to pick with you, missy. Why didn’t you tell me Luke and Phoebe went out?” Scarlett crossed her arms in front of her.
Layla ducked her head, looking sheepish. “What good would it have done?” She spared a glance back up at Scarlett and shrugged. “You’d left town and made it clear that you were never returning. I tried to bring him up once right after you left, and you almost bit my head off. After that, I avoided any and all conversation relating to the guy.”
She let the words sink in for a moment and realized their truth. “I guess you have a point,” Scarlett said begrudgingly. “In the future, if there is something you think I should know, please just tell me so I’m not blindsided.”
Her friend nodded. “Will do. Though it seems it worked out okay for you, based on that post-sex glow you’ve got going on.”
Scarlett laughed and crumpled up the napkin on the table, tossing it at her friend. “Very funny.”
“At least think about it,” Layla said, almost pleading. “A little fun would be a good thing for you.”
“Alright. I’ll think about it.” And she would. God knows she’d be thinking about Luke anyway.
A n hour later , Scarlett was returning to her parked car on Main Street just down from Paper Hearts. She’d needed to go to the small stationary
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