I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(27)

“Let me drive you home. I’ll drop you round the block so your dad won’t even see me.”

“I’m fine, Zach. I like to walk.”

“Well at least tell me where you live.”

She gave me a droll look and crossed her arms.

“Why won’t you tell me?”

“Why do you have to know?”

The question stumped me. The truth was I didn’t. I just really wanted to. I was guessing she didn’t want to tell me so I wouldn’t be tempted to drive by some day, which I totally would. Her dad must be really strict if she wasn’t even willing to risk that.

“You’re eighteen. You’re old enough to make your own choices, you know.”

I didn’t want her to play the rebel and get her in trouble, but I had a damn good point. Her father was being way too protective. No boyfriends in high school? Come on.

Her eyes said something I couldn’t decipher and her words were spoken with a softness that pierced me. “Some people don’t get as many choices as others.”

As if realizing she’d suddenly gone too deep and serious, she forced a bright smile over her lips. Leaning towards me with a playful grin, she touched her lips to my ear. “But I am eighteen and if I really want something, I won’t let Daddy stop me.”

Her breath was warm and tickled my skin, making goosebumps rise over my forearms. Her soft lips pressed against my cheek before she leaned back with a smile. Her eyes were dancing as she bit her lip. “See you tomorrow, Zach.”

She made a little nervous, excited face before slinging her bag onto her shoulder and heading towards the door.

I touched my cheek, my insides glowing as I replayed her words. I watched her walk to the door then lean against the glass. She glanced my way one last time, her expression wavering from a giddy thrill, then flashing with a moment of regret before ending on a forced smile.

Oh yeah. She liked me. She wasn’t supposed to like me, but she did.

I sat back in my seat feeling triumphant and a little sad. It was so my style, falling for girls with complications, but this time more than any others, I felt like the fight was worth it.

“Hey, where’s Dani gone?” AJ walked towards me with a bowl of something.

Plonking down beside me, he placed the bowl in front of us and my mouth instantly watered.

“Chocolate sauce?”

“Yeah,” AJ sighed.

“I’ll taste it for you.”

One of AJ’s dimples popped into place as he reluctantly handed me a spoon. “She’s got better things to say than you do.”

“That’s because she likes everything you bring her.”

“Yeah, that skinny young thing is easy to please.” AJ glanced at the door, no doubt hoping she’d return for some reason. “I’m surprised she’s so thin with the amount of food she manages to put away.”

“I think she’s just got a really fast metabolism. She runs a lot, probably burns off the energy that way.”

“True.” AJ scratched his arm then looked at me expectantly. “Well?”

I licked the spoon and grinned. “It’s good. What are you gonna serve it with?”

“Well, Liesl likes cherries and meringue, so I’m thinking of making some sort of meringue, fruit creation then drizzling this over the top. Like a mountain of goodness covered in chocolate rain.”

“Nice.” I nodded with a grin. “You really like to please your woman, don’t you?”

AJ shrugged. “I love her. Making her happy makes me happy.”

I dipped my spoon into the chocolate bowl again. “How’d you know?”

“Know what?”

“That moment you fell for her, how’d you know?”

“It wasn’t a moment.” AJ picked up the spare spoon and scraped out a little sauce. “I mean, yeah, I thought she was gorgeous the first time I saw her, but she was so out of my league I didn’t even entertain it. I thought she’d been one of those rich bitch snobs. Gorgeous on the outside, sour in the middle. But she became friends with Jae and started hanging out with us and I just… I don’t know, she grew on me and I guess I was lucky enough to grow on her too.”

AJ licked the spoon clean then nudged me with his elbow.

“What?” I knew what, but I still had to ask him anyway.

“You’re falling for that Dani chick.”

“I know.” I put the spoon down with a slight frown.

“She’s not going for it or something?”

“Nah, I think she likes me too.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“It’s complicated.” I pursed my lips.

“It always is with the girls you like.”

“I know. That’s the thing.” My hands flew up and gently banged the table. “I promised Elliot, and myself, that if it got weird or hard, I’d back away.”

“But you don’t want to do that.”

“Do I risk another Bambi Bitch Slap or stalker chick?”

“I really don’t think Dani’s the stalking kind, but she looks like she could throw a pretty mean punch if she had to.”

“It’s not her fist I’m worried about.” I winced. “She finally eluded to the fact that her father doesn’t want her dating. I think she doesn’t want to tell us where she lives because we could potentially pop over or something. I mean, is her dad hell scary or something?”