Beg You to Trust Me (Lindon U #2)(90)
Tears threaten to glaze my eyes, so I blink them away and sit up. My chest burns with awareness. Clearing my throat, I grab my phone and take a slow breath in. “You’re right. It’s been great talking to you, but I should probably go. I think Danny said something about a card game with his grandma. Have fun at that new club you’re checking out and tell the others I said hi!”
Before they can see the deteriorating wall I’ve built around my memories, I hang up.
Make it count.
Make it count.
Make it count.
That’s the thought circling my head when there’s a knock at my door.
The “Blondie?” from the other side makes my heart race rapidly in its cage.
And that’s when I know.
CHAPTER THIRTY
DANNY
I got my ass handed to me at Go Fish, a card game only Grandma M could make competitive. I’m not sure what’s worse—her trying to mimic the victory dance I do on the sidelines during halftime or me subjecting myself to three different rounds before giving up.
“Blondie?” I knock on the door to the guest room, strategically placed in a completely different hallway from my own. It took everything in me not to sneak inside after Ma and Grandma went to bed last night like I’m sure they figured I’d do regardless of the placement.
Skylar said she had plans to talk with her family, so I left her be for the past hour and a half even though I wanted to take her out and hang with her for a while to see the night life. Footsteps creak the floorboards before the doorknob turns and door cracks open.
She looks a little pale. “Hey.”
“You okay?” I ask, stepping inside when she moves over in silent invitation. Flopping down on the queen-sized bed and grabbing the stuffed animal I bought her at the aquarium, I hold it to my chest and watch her slink over to stand beside the foot of the mattress.
I smile and pat a section beside me, watching as she sinks onto the corner, drawing one of her knees up.
Her eyes go to the penguin I’m cuddling against my chest. “My sisters are going to some new club on the strip in Vegas because they saw online that one of their favorite singers is going to be there.”
“Anyone I heard of?”
“Cassidy something or other. She’s new to the scene. From what Sienna said, she’s known for dating some famous boy bander and starring in a sex scandal when a video of theirs leaked.” I chuckle at the way her nose scrunches. “I can’t imagine what that must be like. Anyway, they’ll probably club hop if they don’t find her, so I’m sure I’ll get plenty of drunk texts and video calls throughout the night.”
I reach over and tug on her hand until she inches closer to me. Lifting my arm for her to curl up beside me, I peck the side of her forehead and heft out a sigh. “I drunk texted Caleb once. Though, full disclosure, I’d meant to text my friend Candace at the time. It was an honest mistake.”
Her nose twitches as she looks away. “I suppose Candace is a special friend like me?”
It’s hard not to let my lips curve into a cocky grin. I can taste her jealousy. “Nah. Maybe if Candi Cane wasn’t a lesbian I would’ve tried my shot at her when we were kids, but I’m pretty sure she still wouldn’t have given me a chance. Word on the street is I’m a little too much to handle sometimes.”
A small laugh vibrates her, so I pull her closer and rest my chin on her head. “I booked us tickets to do a tour that I think you’ll like. I’ve done it before with my old high school history class and if it’s anything like it used to be, it’ll be interesting.”
“What kind of tour?”
“It’s called the Beacon Hill Crime Tour.” The way she perks up has me grinning wider. “It’s a foot tour that focuses on the Boston Strangler and his victims. Since you’re obsessed with that sort of shit, I figured you’d want to do it before we headed back. We can hit up the harbor beforehand and meet with the group right before it starts. You down? It’s not too much walking, but we’ll be on our feet a lot…”
She drapes an arm across my stomach and squeezes, her chin using my pec to rest on as she glances up at me. “I’d love that, Danny. I didn’t even know that was a thing when I googled things to do.”
“You googled tourist attractions?”
The pink dotting her cheeks has become my favorite color over the past few months. “I wanted to know more about where you grew up. It seems like such a cool place to live. I’m still surprised you ever left to come to Lindon.”
“You left California, Blondie,” I remind her matter-of-factly. “A lot of people would kill to go to Beverly Hills and see the stars.”
She makes a face but nods once. “I’m glad you wound up at Lindon.”
Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, I murmur, “I’m glad we both did.”
We stare at each other for a few moments, my eyes trailing down to her lips which part as soon as I lock my gaze on them. My lungs squeeze as she reaches up and touches my lips, tracing them with one of her fingertips.
Her voice is raspy when she speaks. “Can I ask you something?”
Anything. Fucking anything.
“Of course you can.”