Page 36

“No,” she said immediately. God, it was fun to wind her up.

“Your loss,” I said, eating the bite and savoring. This was exactly what I’d needed. A brownie sundae and Bren. Even if she was a total grump.

“It doesn’t bother you?” she asked after she’d tossed the empty bowl into one of the trash cans.

“What doesn’t bother me?”

“Me not wanting to talk to you.”

I had the last few bites of my sundae before I answered.

My answer was simple and easy. “No.”

She leaned closer, as if she was drawn toward me. “Why not?”

“Because I know that you really want to.” I’d watched her hold back a response so many times. It was getting harder for her the longer she was with me.

I loved it.

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at me for a few seconds before letting out a little choking noise and turning away, but I saw the smile she was desperately battling with make a brief appearance on her face.

Bren crossed her arms and glared at the ocean. At least, I assumed she was glaring from behind her sunglasses.

She’d definitely been using them to try and hide. It was a shame I didn’t get to see her gorgeous eyes, but I guess I couldn’t have everything today.

“You’re different than I thought you’d be,” she said, her voice so quiet that I almost didn’t hear her over the accordion music and the call of the seagulls who were battling over scraps from the trash cans.

“How so?” I asked, a little terrified of the answer.

“I don’t know. Just…different.”

I didn’t know what to do with that.

“Do you want to get out from under the sun?” Bren had the pallor of someone who didn’t get outside that much.

“I need to go,” she said, and I was struck with the desire to reach out and give her a hug. To pull her in and hold her for a little while. She’d be stiff at first. Not used to the contact. But something told me she’d just melt if given the chance, like ice cream left in the sun.

“Sure,” I said, not willing to beg or let her know how desperate I was for even another minute of her company. Being with her made me giddy and nervous and fluttery and terrified.

“Are we even now?” she asked, crossing her arms and frowning. “Because you definitely spent more than twenty dollars on me today.” I had, but it didn’t matter.

“That’s okay. You’ll just get me back next time.” She stiffened with shock and I laughed again.

“There’s not going to be a next time,” she said through clenched teeth.

“There will be.” Where this well of confidence I’d dipped into had come from, I didn’t know, but I was going with it.

Bren scoffed. “Bye, Honey.”

“Bye, Bren. See you on Thursday.”

She shook her head and walked away from me. As much as I wanted to catch up and walk her to her car, I held back. Let her have her way this time.

I still watched her walk away, wishing I could burn the image of her in my retinas permanently.

God, I wanted to bite that ass.

Friendship. We were working onfriendship.