The Wright Brother by Marie Hall

she deserved it, but that also didn’t mean that she liked it. She hated it.
    Hated. It.
    It took about twenty minutes before Lori figured out how to lower the lift so that Julian could be wheeled on it. Those twenty minutes had been some of the most awkward of Elisa’s life. Her thoughts had vacillated between an obligation to stay mingled with the need to run away and hide from him like a chicken.
    Only through sheer force of will did she stay put.
    She heaved a mighty sigh of relief when Lori finally lowered the lift. Once Julian was settled in, Elisa saw her chance to make a break for it.
    Running away wasn’t the answer, and yet that was exactly what she meant to do.
    “And just where do you think you’re going, young miss?” Lori asked with an arch to her thin brow.
    Elisa hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “I brought my car, I probably should—”
    “Yeah, good try. That boy is driving me crazy. He’s in a horribly pissy mood and now, seeing you, I’m pretty sure you both have some talking to do.”
    “But my car.”
    “Can be driven home by Roman or Christian, we are neighbors, remember? And you guys need to talk. I’m serious. Do not throw years of friendship away over nothing.”
    Nothing?
    Couldn’t she realize what was happening? Didn’t she realize that the way Elisa viewed Julian was beyond inappropriate? Why did she continue to insist on pushing them together?
    Elisa had been fine back at college. Things had been normal and getting great. She was going to have sex for the first time with a boyfriend she loved. A guy that was just about perfect in every way but one.
    He wasn’t Julian Wright.
    Roman stuck out his hand. “Give me the keys, Lisa. You know you can’t win when she gets like this.”
    Giving him a hard side-eyed glare, she yanked her keys out of her pocket and thrust them at him. “Take care of it.”
    “Oh, whatever. I’m stopping by the Grease Burner to pick up some food. I’m starving.”
    “Yeah, right.” Christian laughed. “You just want to go flirt with Diane.”
    Roman snorted and gave a carefree shrug.
    And then heaving a dramatic sigh, Christian said, “Diane Thorn, goddess of Bay High. Hey.” He jerked, trotting after Roman, who’d already started walking off. “Wait up, I’m coming with you.”
    “Take care of it—I’m serious you, guys!” Elisa cupped her hands around her mouth.
    They never even acknowledged her.
    Lori was already sitting behind the wheel of the car when Elisa reluctantly climbed in. Sitting beside an entirely too broody Julian wasn’t going to be fun at all.
    “You guys fix this,” Lori commanded, and then, turning on the radio, proceeded to ignore them the rest of the trip home.
    The first few minutes that ticked by were agony for her. With a frustrated growl, she smacked Julian on the shoulder.
    Which caused him to groan and immediately she was horrified because she’d completely forgotten about his injury.
    “Oh, Jules, God, I’m such an ass. I’m—”
    His lips stretched into a wide smile.
    Balling her hands into fists, she realized he’d just played her for a fool. “You’re a jerk, Julian Wright,” she signed at him furiously.
    Finally, finally he looked at her. And even though the ice had been broken, she could see that he was still irritated by what she’d done.
    “I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry.” It was hard not saying the words aloud as she signed them, but this conversation was just for her and Jules.
    “You said you’d come back.”
    “Julian, you don’t understand.”
    “What, Smile Girl? What don’t I understand?”
    This was getting way too deep. Moving into places that she really didn’t want to go. What was going on between them, it had a lot more to do with the heart than just an annoying miscommunication.
    “You set me aside.” He signed it.
    She frowned. “What the hell are you talking about? I wrote you every week. I sent you pictures.”
    “Yeah.” He snarled. “Pictures of you with