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Smirking, I climb down the bleachers before offering my hand once more, keeping her balanced. “Pretty much, yeah.”

She jumps down onto the concrete and we’re practically chest to chest. Our gazes locked on one another, and I want to reach out, pull her even closer, but I know I can’t. She’s not mine. Her hazel eyes drift around my face, never really settling anywhere. It feels like there’s a current of something zipping between us, an imaginary line pulling us closer. I can take one step and—

My phone rings. The sound is loud in the otherwise empty space, causing us to practically stumble apart. I break eye contact long enough to dig it out of the pockets of my sweats. By the time I look up, she’s heading back inside. Cursing under my breath, I answer the call and press the phone to my ear. “What’s up, Bryce?”

“Hey, you’re at the pool, right?” My point is instantly proven. We know one another too well. “Are you going to be much longer? Josie and I were going to go get breakfast.”

“Why are you guys even up?” I ask, looking at my watch to find that it’s barely six-thirty.

“Someone set the fire alarm off. There was no actual fire, but it woke us up.”

I roll my eyes, wondering if this was fate’s way of telling me to back off. Why else would something like that happen right as Katrina and I are having some sort of moment?

“Yeah, sure. Text me the place and I’ll meet you there.”

“Cool. Are you good?”

Absolutely not. “Yeah, of course. I’ll see you in twenty.”

By the time I end the call with Bryce and head back to my car, Katrina is gone.

March2024

“Did you want to go shopping with Mia and me tomorrow?” Josie asks as Bryce locks the door behind us. “It’s shopping for fun, nothing for the pool, or the house.”

“But I find that kind of shopping fun,” I tease, earning a laugh from Josie. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I’m going home this weekend. My boyfriend needs me to accompany him to some charitable gathering for the hospital.”

Bryce gives me a look of pure disgust. “That sounds boring as hell.”

Josie swats his chest. “Don’t pretend you didn’t attend charity auctions and other events when you were swimming.” She turns to look at me with a pout. “I was never invited because we were just friends.” The who slept together was heavily implied by the way she put air quotes over the last two words.

“You would have been bored out of your mind,” Bryce protests. I’m willing to bet money they’ve had this argument before.

“Probably, but I would have gotten to see you in a different kind of suit,” she muses, pressing a thoughtful finger to her chin. I see the way her eyes rake over his form and suddenly become a bit uncomfortable. “Which would have made it worth it.”

“You had three months of seeing me in a suit like that every day. I think I made up for the ten charity events you didn’t attend with me.”

Josie makes a face at the memory of Bryce’s corporate job. I’ve yet to see any photographic proof of this job.

“Katrina!”

The deep, firm voice calling my name startles all of us. I’m shocked when I see Will’s red, sleek sports car sitting at the curb. My boyfriend is striding toward us in dark jeans and a button-down, like he hadn’t just driven two hours to get here.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Bryce’s tone is low. I’m not sure he meant for anyone to hear him, but there’s a darkness in it, too.

I don’t have the chance to question what he means before Will is greeting me with an exaggerated kiss on my cheek. I turn my focus to him. “What are you doing here?”

“Picking you up, of course,” he replies breezily, like it’s obvious.

It’s not, though. This wasn’t part of the plan and Will always sticks to the plan. He doesn’t even like it when I change a side dish for a planned dinner without talking to him. “I thought I was driving home to meet you.”

He shrugs in such a casual way that I want to scream. Who is this man? Why is he acting like this? “Does it really matter? I thought I’d surprise you.”

My suspicions are raised. Will doesn’t do surprises, and he doesn’t do romantic gestures. Most of the time, I’m lucky if I can get him to call me his girlfriend. He’s up to something, or at least has a reason to be here.

Thankfully, I don’t have to wait long for my answer.

“Bryce Clark!” Will pushes me away slightly as he puts on his best charming smile to shake Bryce’s hand. Bryce looks down at the outstretched hand but doesn’t shake it. Will drops it, undeterred. “It’s great to see you, man.”