by Len Webster
“Still.”
He took the seat that Kyle’s baseball cap rested on and squeezed her hand. His blue eyes focused on hers. “Stop. Don’t feel bad. It’s seriously a cute look on you but completely unnecessary. Gotta say, Massachusetts, you looked pretty lonely just before.”
Massachusetts.
She loved it.
Loved the way he said it.
Loved the way it made her feel special.
There was a sense of honesty in it.
In who they were when they were together.
And for that, she wouldn’t lie and taint the honesty they shared.
“He’s just gone out to take a call.”
“Ahh,” Landon said as his lips pressed into a tight smile.
“Don’t be disappointed,” she urged.
Landon’s thumb brushed the back of her hand, causing her heart to race. “Hard not to be, Massachusetts.”
And that was all AJ had ever wanted to hear.
That sense of longing for her was what she had always needed.
He was attracted to her.
And though her heart still loved the idea of Evan Gilmore mauling it, it warmed at the gentleness of Landon Carmichael.
“Don’t be, Landon. He’s an old family friend.”
His eyes lit up. “So this between us …?”
This time, AJ covered their hands with her free one. She stared into those bright blues a second longer and then looked over her shoulder, knowing that Kyle would return soon. “Is still whatever it is. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“You know the last time I saw you, I promised I’d ask you to dinner.”
She bit back a smile and nodded. “You did say that.”
He cleared his throat and leaned closer to her. Those eyes had her. Caught in shades of blue that she adored. “Alex, would you say yes to me asking you to dinner the next time I see you?”
AJ’s eyes widened. Her lips parting. She was bewildered by him and his question. “You’re not asking me right now?”
Landon grinned. “Not while you’re having dinner with someone else. I’ll have my moment some other time. Have a good night, Alex.”
“You, too, Landon,” she whispered before his hands slipped away from her, and he stood from the chair. Then he left her with a smile and a promise in his eyes.
Breathless.
Landon Carmichael left her breathless.
Minutes later, Kyle returning to his seat had her blinking back to reality. She had watched Landon walk toward the back of the restaurant where she couldn’t see him. As she waited for Kyle, she had stared at her hands. His gentle touches invisibly branded her skin. Left sweet marks that made her heart clench and react in ways it hadn’t before.
“Hey,” she said, hoping that the heat she felt was from the lighting above and not the thought of the basketball player who had left her almost speechless.
Kyle stared at her for a long moment before he asked, “Were you talking to someone?”
She blinked at him twice and decided that she wouldn’t lie.
Not when it came to Landon.
She would continue to give him and who he was honesty and fairness.
“I was,” she answered and picked up her sparkling water, sipping some back to quench her dry throat.
Kyle frowned, and she saw the displeasure on his face from her confirmation. “Who is he?”
The jealousy she’d seen many times before resurfaced. It had been jealousy over Evan, and now it was over Landon.
“He’s nice, Kyle,” AJ said, using strength in her voice to reassure him.
His jaw clenched. “You’re dating?”
AJ shook her head. It was the truth. She wasn’t. Not with Evan. And not with Landon. She had just met the Duke basketball player. He hadn’t even asked her out.
“No,” AJ stated. “I’m sitting across from you, having dinner with someone who is very important to me. I’m sorry, I should tell you that more often. Thank you, Kyle. Not for keeping my secret, but for coming to Durham when you really should be in Florida.”
The apprehension and displeasure on Kyle’s face vanished and was replaced with a smile. She knew it would calm him, but it wouldn’t reassure him forever.
Because somewhere along the line, when Landon finally asked her, she would say yes to dinner with him.
And her heart mended at the concept.
Her heart loved the thought.
Her soul felt freer at the possibility of what could be with Landon Carmichael.
18 Ar
argon
EVAN
Senior year of high school
Mia: Hey, Evan. Don’t forget lunch in the city today.
Evan: You want me to pick you up?
Mia: It’s cool. I’m already in the city shopping for a few things. Meet you at Della’s?
Evan: Yeah. I’m leaving soon. See you then.
Mia was Evan’s biology partner. She had asked him to meet to discuss their project on water microorganisms on Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, he had asked her to dinner on Saturday, but she had a family engagement in the city, so she had suggested lunch instead. Evan liked Mia. She had transferred to their high school last year from New Mexico when her family relocated to Massachusetts for her father’s job. She was cute with her auburn hair and hazel eyes. She was tall and played on the varsity volleyball team. When she had approached him to be his biology partner, he didn’t refuse.
After he found parking and got out of his car, he spotted Mia in an aqua dress and a white cardigan. He had never seen her so girly. But she had warned him that she’d be overdressed for their lunch date.
“Hey,” he greeted once he reached her. “Nice outfit.”
Mia rolled her eyes at him. “I knew you’d be a jerk about it.”
“I’m serious. You look nice, Mia.”
She blushed and smiled at him. “Thanks, Evan. But seriously, you know I wouldn’t dress like this if it wasn’t for my mother. I had mini sandwiches for stupid high tea with the women at her whatever board she’s a part of. I could really use a steak right now.”
Laughing, Evan led her toward the restaurant’s entry and held the door for her. Once inside, and away from the cool breeze, he walked up to the maître d’ and cleared his throat. The gentleman behind the podium lifted his head and straightened his posture.
“Welcome to Della’s.”
“We have a table for Evan Gilmore.”
Gilmore.
He hated using his last name.
But it was his ticket in Boston.
The city loved his brother and family name.
And Evan made sure he abused the power of the Gilmore name when he could. And that meant being able to take his dates to restaurants where his brother had a tab. Kyle never complained because he never checked his accounts to notice the added charges.
“Ah, Mr. Gilmore. How is your brother?” the maître d’ asked.
“Going strong.”
The Della’s employee grinned. “Strong enough to lead us to back-to-back World Series’ wins?”
“You know it,” Evan said in a completely fake tone of excitement.
He did not love the Red Sox.
He did not love his brother.
But he tolerated them both.
For AJ.
“Good to know. I will escort you and your date to your table.” Then he led Evan and Mia toward the back of the restaurant to the private area where many celebrities and sports stars dined. “Can I start you both off with anything?” the maître d’ asked once they had sat down and he had handed them a menu.
“Can I just grab some water, please?” Mia asked.
“Of course. And for you, sir?”
“Water, too, would be great.”
“Certainly.
I will let you both look at the menu, and I’ll be back in a moment with your drinks.”
Once they were alone, Mia set down her menu and a small smile twisted her lips. “This is pretty fancy, Evan.”
He nodded in agreement. “It is.”
“We can eat somewhere else.”
His brows furrowed at her. “Why would we do that?”
She sighed. “Because this place is too much. Did you even see the prices on the menu?”
“I’ve seen higher,” he noted.
“At Alex’s mother’s restaurant?”
He nodded. “Yeah, but her food is worth it.”
“Why didn’t you take me to her restaurant then?”
Evan blinked at the description of the steak dish and then set down his menu. He had never taken his dates to AJ’s mother’s restaurant. It was out of respect. Clara Parker’s restaurant was the number one restaurant in Massachusetts. There was no way any of his dates deserved the Little Restaurant in Boston. Hell, he didn’t even like going to the Little Bakery with anyone other than AJ.
“Mrs. Parker might love me, but even I have trouble getting a table at that place,” he lied as he picked up his menu to look at the choices once again.
Mia’s lips made an O, and he could tell in the relief in her eyes that she believed him. He wouldn’t go to the Little Restaurant with anyone other than the Parkers and AJ.
“Evan?”
“Yeah,” he said as he looked at the roast chicken description.
“Your phone is vibrating,” Mia pointed out.
Evan glanced over to see that his phone was. He set down the large menu and picked it up to see his best friend was calling. The call ended before he could answer it. He didn’t want to be rude to Mia and leave her to call AJ back, so Evan went into his messages and found missed ones from AJ.
AJ: Hey, I’m at my dad’s office until this afternoon. Pick me up from there instead of at my place.
AJ: Earth to Evan? Please don’t tell me you’re still asleep.
AJ: Evan, where are you?
AJ: Seriously, where are you?
AJ: ???
His brows met as he replied to her.
Evan: Della’s. Come over if you’re still at your father’s office. Just say my name at the front, and they’ll lead you inside.
“Everything okay?” Mia asked, getting his attention.
Evan nodded his head and set his phone down. “Yeah, just AJ. She’s somewhere around here. She might stop by to say hi. Is that okay?”
Mia’s concerned expression turned sour. “Seriously?”
“She probably won’t stay long. Plus, she normally works at her mother’s bakery around this time. So she might not even stop by at all.”
“Don’t you think you’re a little too close to Alex?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” Mia muttered.
“No, Mia. Continue. Tell me what you mean by I’m too close to AJ? She’s my best friend.”
Mia let out an unbelievable laugh. “You’re best friends with someone like Alex, for starters.”
“Okay?” Evan said, confused as to where she was going. Their casual lunch date had turned south.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like Alex. Everyone likes Alex. Alex can do no wrong. She’s this science genius freak—”
“Don’t!” he warned her. “Don’t you dare call her a freak. She’s smart. A lot smarter than both of us combined.”
“I’m sorry,” she quickly said. “You’re right. Sorry. She’s not a freak. I didn’t mean that in a terrible way. She’s just so smart, you know. And the way you look at her … Would you really have been her best friend if you weren’t neighbors? Think about it. She’s physics, and you’re … Evan Gilmore. You play baseball. You’re a jock just like I am. And you hang out with someone like Alex. Have you really looked at her lately?”
He winced.
Looked at her?
I look at her every day.
“I don’t know what you mean? I see AJ every day.”
Mia let out a small laugh. “But do you really see her? If you haven’t noticed, Evan, she’s actually beautiful. Those green eyes, her shiny brunette hair, and that smile of hers … You can understand why Hunter is infatuated with her.”
A stabbing sensation pierced his chest.
He knew Hunter found her attractive.
He’d said it enough.
But Hunter also knew that AJ was Evan’s best friend and she was hands off. Evan was the baseball captain, and his word was law to them. He would not let one of his teammates break AJ’s heart. He would always protect her from them, especially Hunter’s womanizing ways. He never called girls back except for late-night hookups. And AJ was not the kind of girl who deserved that.
“Mia, stop,” he pleaded.
She shook her head. “Christ. I had no idea I had to be the one to give you a goddam intervention, Evan Gilmore.”
“Seriously, Mia—”
“No,” she said, defiantly. “You want to know what else Hunter says about her?”
“God, no!”
“Too bad. He says that if you weren’t his best friend, he’d have asked her out when you were both sophomores. That’s how long he’s liked her. But he cares too much about you, Evan. How have you not realized—”
“Mr. Gilmore, sorry to interrupt,” their maître d’ said. “Miss. Parker’s here.”
Evan turned away from Mia to find AJ standing next to their waiter. The first thing he noticed was the tears in her eyes. His best friend had glanced over at Mia and gave her a small smile before she directed that wounded expression his way.
It hurt.
The way she looked at him.
It pained him.
Made that uncomfortable pressure in his chest tighten to the point where he wasn’t sure he could breathe.
AJ opened her mouth but quickly shut it. She took a deep breath as she tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. A second later, AJ turned around and walked away from the table. He watched her until he couldn’t see her anymore.
“Go,” Mia said.
He turned back around to see a tight smile on her face. “Mia.”
“No, Evan. Go. If I were Alex, I’d be hurt, too.”
Evan nodded. “Okay. I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere. I promised you lunch, and I’m not going to break that promise. I won’t be long.” Then Evan got out of his chair and ran out of the restaurant. Once he was standing outside, he looked to his left and couldn’t see her. He then looked to his right to just see her walking in the direction of her father’s office.
Apologizing as he pushed past people, he willed his legs to move faster so he could reach her. But all the people in front of him seemed to walk intentionally slow.
“AJ!” he yelled as he bypassed the last pedestrian who blocked him from his best friend.
AJ didn’t turn around.
He wasn’t even sure she heard him, but he made up the distance.
“AJ, for God’s sake, just hold on a minute!” Evan screamed after her. He was desperate for her attention.
Finally, she spun around, and he saw her tears slide down her face.
In all his life, he had never seen AJ this heartbroken.
This sad.
This wounded.
“What, Evan? What the hell do you want?”
“Maybe an explanation?”
Her nostrils flared. “An explanation for what?”
“For why you’re looking at me as if I did something horrible to you.”
AJ flinched.
Her green eyes gleamed with an accusation he wasn’t sure he deserved.
“How could you honestly not realize?” she cried.
Evan shook his head.
She had
never been so vague with him.
He felt her pull away.
But he wouldn’t let her.
They were best friends.
He marched up to her, dug his hand into her hair, and wrapped his arm around her back, holding her close.
Just like he used to.
AJ clutched his shirt and cried into his chest. “How could you? How could you not remember?”
“Remember what?”
She didn’t answer him. Instead, her small, heartbreaking cries were her responses.
“Please, AJ. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“You promised,” she said in a small voice.
Evan stilled. “I don’t understand.”
AJ let out an exhale as she set her palms on his chest and pushed off him. “You don’t understand? What’s there to understand? I missed it. All you had to do was tell me you had a prior commitment, and I would have gone without you. I wouldn’t have waited for you.”
“Gone where?”
“To MIT!” she shouted. “Today was my once-in-a-lifetime tour of MIT and meeting with a professor who was nominated for a Nobel Prize!”
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit!
“It was today?”
Suddenly, tears slipped down her cheeks. “Yes. You were supposed to pick me up from my dad’s office. He asked me time and time again if I wanted him to drop me off, but I told him no. Because you promised we’d go together. You promised you’d support my dream. I lost this chance, Evan. It’s not just about seeing MIT. It was about making a connection. Professor Church could have been my mentor someday!”
“AJ, I’m so sorry.”
“It was MIT, Evan,” she whispered as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands.
“I’m sorry. But it’s okay because you’ll get into Stanford. Plus, it’s not like you wanted to go to MIT, right? Trust me, it’ll be okay. It’s you and me at Stanford,” he assured.
AJ went rigid as she blankly blinked at him. It was a long second later that she pressed her lips into a tight line and nodded.