seconds later. I cranked up the AC and flipped my visor down, looking at myself in the little lighted mirror. My face was flushed from the heat, and I swiped back a few stray hairs from my forehead. Just as I was about to close the visor, movement in the mirror caught my eye. It was Thomas, walking back to his car already.
I flipped it closed and started to get out. I wanted to thank him for helping me. After all, I did appreciate it–even if I hadn’t acted like it–and thought he should know.
The loud rumble of his engine caught me by surprise, and I paused, halfway out of my car.
How the hell did he get to his car that quick?
He drove off the shoulder and back onto the road, passing me by without so much as a glance or “goodbye.” Hell, I would’ve settled for a nod or a wave. Maybe even a smartass “you’re welcome.”
What I did get was a good view of his profile, complete with hard eyes and the tight line of his clenched jaw.
Chapter Nineteen
THOMAS
Fuck! Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!
I slammed my hand against the steering wheel as I drove away from Emily, denting it.
Fuck.
What the hell was my problem? Why did I keep messing up around her? It was like the filter from my brain to my mouth quit working whenever I was around her.
I said “when.” Not “ why are you being so stubborn,” but “ when did you get to be so stubborn.” Sooner or later, she’d catch on to my slip-ups.
And why did I have to push her? We’d been doing so well before that. It was like for every two steps forward, we had to take one back. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to gain any ground with her.
The wind whipped through my hair, and I rubbed a hand over my face. Maybe I should just admit defeat and leave her alone. Besides, what did I really expect to happen from all this? That we’d become…friends? Lovers?
I quickly dismissed the idea of a sexual relationship. She wouldn’t want me in that way…at least not more than once.
“It’s about friggin’ time!” Beth exclaimed as I swung our front door open. She stood up from the couch and turned off the TV, then threw the remote down on the coffee table and grabbed the towel off the back of the sofa. “Let’s go.”
Crap, I forgot we were supposed to go swimming. “I have to get changed first.” My keys rattled as I tossed them on the couch, along with my purse.
Five minutes later, we were out the door and in the hallway, waiting for the elevator. It dinged as the “down” arrow lit up and the doors slid open.
“Who’s gonna be there?” I asked, reaching out to push the button for the lobby.
“Just some people Andy knows,” Beth said without looking up, her eyes glued to her phone as she texted.
The elevator began to lower, and I couldn’t help but peek over Beth’s shoulder. It wasn’t hard, since she was so short. I saw Josh’s name at the top of the screen, and smirked as the elevator doors slid open. “Is Josh gonna be there?”
“Shut it.” She stuffed her phone into her purse and breezed past me, out of the elevator. But I’d already seen the smile she was trying to hide.
We pulled into the makeshift parking lot at the quarry, and I scanned the group milling about the parked cars. Andy was here, Hayley too, and–would you look at that. Josh was here. Go fig.
I did a double take when I saw the black muscle car at the end of the row and practically broke my neck whipping around to scan the group once more. Sure enough, Thomas was here, in the back. I frowned and killed the engine. “What’s he doing here?”
Beth followed my gaze and gave me a puzzled look. “Wait a sec–you don’t like him?”
I can’t like him, Beth.
“Not really,” I mumbled.
“Why the hell not?”
“I just…don’t.” I opened my door and got out, wishing I hadn’t said anything. Now she’d be bugging me about it all day.
She slammed her door shut and came around to my side. “What’s wrong with you? He’s one fine piece
I flipped it closed and started to get out. I wanted to thank him for helping me. After all, I did appreciate it–even if I hadn’t acted like it–and thought he should know.
The loud rumble of his engine caught me by surprise, and I paused, halfway out of my car.
How the hell did he get to his car that quick?
He drove off the shoulder and back onto the road, passing me by without so much as a glance or “goodbye.” Hell, I would’ve settled for a nod or a wave. Maybe even a smartass “you’re welcome.”
What I did get was a good view of his profile, complete with hard eyes and the tight line of his clenched jaw.
Chapter Nineteen
THOMAS
Fuck! Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!
I slammed my hand against the steering wheel as I drove away from Emily, denting it.
Fuck.
What the hell was my problem? Why did I keep messing up around her? It was like the filter from my brain to my mouth quit working whenever I was around her.
I said “when.” Not “ why are you being so stubborn,” but “ when did you get to be so stubborn.” Sooner or later, she’d catch on to my slip-ups.
And why did I have to push her? We’d been doing so well before that. It was like for every two steps forward, we had to take one back. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to gain any ground with her.
The wind whipped through my hair, and I rubbed a hand over my face. Maybe I should just admit defeat and leave her alone. Besides, what did I really expect to happen from all this? That we’d become…friends? Lovers?
I quickly dismissed the idea of a sexual relationship. She wouldn’t want me in that way…at least not more than once.
“It’s about friggin’ time!” Beth exclaimed as I swung our front door open. She stood up from the couch and turned off the TV, then threw the remote down on the coffee table and grabbed the towel off the back of the sofa. “Let’s go.”
Crap, I forgot we were supposed to go swimming. “I have to get changed first.” My keys rattled as I tossed them on the couch, along with my purse.
Five minutes later, we were out the door and in the hallway, waiting for the elevator. It dinged as the “down” arrow lit up and the doors slid open.
“Who’s gonna be there?” I asked, reaching out to push the button for the lobby.
“Just some people Andy knows,” Beth said without looking up, her eyes glued to her phone as she texted.
The elevator began to lower, and I couldn’t help but peek over Beth’s shoulder. It wasn’t hard, since she was so short. I saw Josh’s name at the top of the screen, and smirked as the elevator doors slid open. “Is Josh gonna be there?”
“Shut it.” She stuffed her phone into her purse and breezed past me, out of the elevator. But I’d already seen the smile she was trying to hide.
We pulled into the makeshift parking lot at the quarry, and I scanned the group milling about the parked cars. Andy was here, Hayley too, and–would you look at that. Josh was here. Go fig.
I did a double take when I saw the black muscle car at the end of the row and practically broke my neck whipping around to scan the group once more. Sure enough, Thomas was here, in the back. I frowned and killed the engine. “What’s he doing here?”
Beth followed my gaze and gave me a puzzled look. “Wait a sec–you don’t like him?”
I can’t like him, Beth.
“Not really,” I mumbled.
“Why the hell not?”
“I just…don’t.” I opened my door and got out, wishing I hadn’t said anything. Now she’d be bugging me about it all day.
She slammed her door shut and came around to my side. “What’s wrong with you? He’s one fine piece
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