Page 9 of Truly

The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them.Before I can think them through. My brain forms sentences and tells my lips to say them, to backtrack my word vomit and save face. But my heart,my stupid, stupid heart, blockades the effort.

My chest burns with anticipation as I watch Luke take a piece of gum from his pocket, put it into his mouth, andchew deliberately. His gaze holds mine with suspicion, fire, and something else I can’t quite name. The mixture feeds the pang in my chest.

“I think you staying here would be the worst idea you’ve ever had,” he says after a long pause. “And you’ve had some epically shitty ones.”

“Now you’re just being a dick.”

“Want me to rattle off a few? Fine,” he says before I can answer. “You bought a car from a man known as Lemonade Larry because all he sold was lemons.”

“Okay, but you tried to drag race a cop. That’s even dumber.”

“You tried to polar plunge in Peachwood Creek in a bikini and ended up falling on the ice and giving yourself a concussion.”

“Fine, but you ran butt naked through the middle of town to celebrate the football team going to the state finals and got blackmailed by a stranger who may or may not have had pictures of you performing the Electric Slide on Main Street in nothing but a jock strap.”

He narrows his eyes. “There was alcohol involved.”

I narrow mine right back. “Like that’s an excuse.”

Slowly, our lips curve into a smile, and before we know it, we’re laughing.

“Can I stay?” I ask.

“No. You’ll cramp my style.”

“You don’thavea style.”

He takes out another piece of gum and pops it into his mouth.

“I’ll pay rent,” I say as sweetly as possible.

“Rent? How long are you talking about? I have a life, you know.”

“I told you—I didn’t plan this out.”

“Clearly.” He gets to his feet and moves to the kitchen doorway. “I can’t take you seriously in that thing.”

“In what thing?”

His eyes scan the length of me. “It’s so … fluffy.”

“So?”

He shrugs. “I never pictured you in a fluffy wedding dress.”

“But you did picture me in one, just not like this?”

“Theoretically.”

Color flames my cheeks. “Well, I’d change, but I have nothing else to put on. Or my phone to call anyone. Or my credit card to order something.” I fall back into the cushions, wincing. “I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”

He exhales roughly and walks my way. His features are without the playfulness of a few minutes ago. He’s serious—sober—and my heart pounds.

Luke stops in front of me with his hands slung in his pockets. The sun kisses his short hair, highlighting how much darker it’s gotten since I last saw him. All I want to do is reach for him, have him pull me into his arms, and tell me it’ll all be okay.

But I don’t.

“I’ll tell you what,” he says, his voice low and gravelly. “I need to go to the barn for a little bit. I have a few things to do. Why don’t you go find something else to wear? We’ll talk when I get back, and you aren’t dressed like you’re getting ready to marry someone else.”