Landon & Shay: Part Two (L&S Duet #2)(43)

Damn, those hips definitely didn’t lie.

“Which is your favorite?” I blurted out, like a damn fool. I kept my eyes on Shay, not even bothering to look at the other two, and her stare was locked with mine.

Eleanor leaned toward her cousin and whispered something or another. Shay was quick to shut her slightly agape mouth.

I smoothed my hands over my suit. “Eleanor, it’s good to see you again. Shay, long time no see,” I murmured. If you don’t count my stalking moment a few days ago. “You look as beautiful as I remember.” That was the truest thing I’d ever said in my life. Shay had gone from a beautiful girl to a breathtaking woman.

Her cheeks flushed with color. “Whatever, Landon. You look fine,” she said, waving her hand in a slight dismissal.

I tried to push down the urgent need to pull her in for a hug, because what the fuck? Hugging her wasn’t something that would’ve made sense. Even though my body wouldn’t have hated the idea of being pressed against hers. I missed her hugs. Instead, I stood tall. “I see you still have that fiery personality.”

“And I see you still haven’t grown into your ears,” she shot back, this time with a slight smile.

Her smiles, too.

I missed her hugs and smile.

I stood there, uncertain what to say after all these years, because all I truly felt was uncomfortable.

So fucking uncomfortable and awkward.

Greyson and Eleanor must’ve caught on with the awkwardness of the whole situation, because the two of them were quick to excuse themselves. When a waiter walked past with a tray of shot samples, Shay and I both reached for them, and tossed it back.

Smooth as sin.

I stuffed my hands into my slacks and smiled like a goddamn fool. “You really think I haven’t grown into my ears? People magazine voted me as Sexiest Ears Alive last year.” I tried to ease the tension, but leave it to me to make it even more odd.

She didn’t laugh, but she smiled sweetly. Damn, it had been so long since I heard her laugh. I couldn’t help but wonder what it sounded like.

I cleared my throat. “I was hoping we’d be able to talk before tonight gets wilder.”

“Talk? Talk about what?”

Everything under the goddamn moon.

“Well, first and foremost, I wanted to apologize for dropping by your place the other night. Greyson mentioned you were coming to the party, and I said I’d love to talk to you beforehand. Raine gave me your address, too. I didn’t think it through, and I’m sorry for that.”

“It was a bit of a surprise, but no worries. Sorry I turned you away so fast. It was a weird night.”

“No, I get it. That night, I was honestly just hoping to talk about us.”

“Us?”

I rolled my shoulders back and stood taller. “I know this is probably awkward, but I wanted to make sure we were good.”

She cocked an eyebrow, baffled by my words.

I’d try again.

“When Grey told me you were coming tonight, I wanted to make sure you and I were okay. I—err—I know we didn’t end on the best terms”—she huffed loudly at my words, but I continued—“but I wanted to make sure we were okay being in the same room together.”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay with being in the same room as you? We’re both adults now, Landon. We don’t need to be the extremely angst-filled children that we were for so long.” She smiled and it felt genuine.

I lowered my brow. “Right. Of course. I just wanted to…”

Talk to you. I wanted to see you and talk to you and be near you after all those years of not, because being with you was the last time I felt like I was at home.

Shit.

I was insane.

I blinked. “Okay, well. Good. I’m glad we can be on good terms.”

“Of course. No harm no foul.” She said it so nonchalantly as if we hadn’t had such a heavy history with one another. “It’s clear that Eleanor and Grey are growing pretty close, so we’ll probably be in the same vicinity from time to time. So, perhaps it’s best we go back to the way we were.”

Her words lit a fire in my heart. The way we were when we were in love…the way we were when we used to hold one another through the darkness. It might’ve taken some time to build up to what we were, but I’d do the work. I’d show her that I wasn’t the same boy I used to be all those years before. I’d prove to her that I was better. I did the work to get right with my mind, and I knew deep down inside I could be the man she always wanted. The man she deserved. I wasn’t that same broken boy of my past. Sure, I still had scars, but the cuts weren’t as deep.

“Yes,” I greedily said. “I’d like that a lot.”

“You know…” She shrugged. “Like we were before we ever made that silly bet in high school. Just sarcastic and light. Nothing more, nothing less.”

If that wasn’t a knife through my fucking chest.

I fidgeted with my hands, unsure what to do with them. “Right. Yes. Of course. Sarcastic and light. I like that.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Me too. Easy.”

“So…” I lowered my brows to study her. “We’re cool?”

She smiled so bright I swore my mind tried to take snapshots of her face so I could remember her forever. “Cooler than a cucumber.”