Dance for Me(32)
The second I step outside, I grab Annie’s elbow and wheel her around. “What are you doing?”
Her smile is devious. It knocks me back a step because nothing about Annie is devious. At least, I never thought it was. “You might claim that it’s done between you two, but I know better. I don’t know how I never noticed it before, but you two are totally in love!”
My head snaps back and my nose scrunches at the accusation. “We are not!”
“Are too! You two can’t keep your eyes off each other. I swear, even with air conditioning, it was a sauna in there today. Hell, you practically burned my clothes off.”
“Now you’re just exaggerating.” This is the Annie everyone fears. When she gets feisty like this, it’s usually best if everyone gives in or walks away. I’m about to walk away.
“I’m right. You give him the same look Brody gives you. Admit it, you still want him.”
“No.” My jaw clenches and I walk faster. Only two hundred and two steps until I reach my car.
“Admit it!” Annie has to practically jog to keep up because of her short legs.
“Fuck you!” I snarl and pick up the pace until she’s jogging. But whatever fuel she’s running on today is allowing her to keep up, which isn’t good for me. I round on her, irritated and desperate for her to leave me alone. I’ve closed this chapter. I don’t need her trying to pry it open.
“What do you want me to say?” I yell at her.
She isn’t even fazed by my anger. “Just admit that you’re still into him.”
My eyes narrow on her. I hate this side of Annie. I hate that she makes me look at myself, question myself. Casting my gaze around the parking lot, I reluctantly give her what she wants. “Fine, I’m still into him. But,” I add, cutting off her clapping and delighted squeal, “that doesn’t mean that I’m going after him. It’s over.”
“I hear you,” she claims, but there’s something about the way she says it that makes me suspicious. “I have to run. We’re meeting at eight tonight, right?”
I still don’t trust her, but I nod. “Brody said he reserved a table.”
“Great! I’m bringing Jason. See you there.”
A night out with friends and Jason. All I can say is that the guy had better be on his best behavior. Assuming he manages to actually show up.
FOURTEEN
I spent way too much time picking an outfit, and now I’m late. Jed’s is packed for a weeknight, but Brody’s ability to plan ahead allows me to go straight in. The hostess points me toward a table in the back, and even though I spent the entire afternoon filled with doubt and a creeping sense of unease due to Annie’s strange behavior, I still find myself searching for any sign of Ransom.
I hate myself for being so weak. Why can’t I just stop thinking about him? I need a distraction, something to help me take my mind off everything. I feel some of the tension I’ve been carrying around dissipate when I spot everyone seated around the table. Brody brought a couple of his friends along, as well as Mitch and Price, who we’ve known for years, and I see that Annie managed to drag Jason along, too. I can’t say that I’m happy to see his blotchy red face, but I am happy that Annie appears happy.
Brody sees me first, and his wide smile serves an injection of happy. I could be in the worst mood, and one look at him would make everything right again.
Maybe Annie was onto something. Why am I chasing after someone untouchable, when I have Brody?
That’s an easy question to answer. It’s the very fact that Ransom is untouchable that makes me crave him. I’ve always been the kind of person who gravitated toward trouble. A shrink would probably tell me that I have daddy issues, or it’s due to my parents’ untimely deaths and having to grow up too fast. And they’d be right because what kind of person could get dealt the hand I have and not be screwed up?
Unfortunately, I can’t help wanting what I want. The side effect of owning a heart is that you can’t control who it falls for. There’s no reasoning with it, no talking it out of stupid decisions. Even when it’s bound to get burned, it runs headlong into the fire. But people can train themselves to like different things. Can’t they?
When Brody leaves the table and embraces me, I decide to prove to my heart that it doesn’t rule me, and I give him an extra-long hug. His arms tighten around my shoulders and he kisses my hair in response. When he pulls back, he gives me a strange smile like he’s not quite sure what to make of my behavior. Hell, neither am I. I just know that I need to crush this unhealthy obsession for Ransom before it takes over any more of my life.