I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(33)

Chapter 16





ZACH


May 2014





“Hey.” Dani’s voice was sweet and chipper as she greeted me.

I closed my locker with a grin. She looked adorable, standing next to me with a test paper in her hand. I saw the 98%, circled in red and I thought she was going to bust out of her skin. Her smile was so huge, her blue eyes dancing.

“Congratulations.” I took the Sociology test from her and scanned the pages to see where she might have beaten me. Miss Berry’s comments on her essay section were glowing.

“So how’d you go?” She bit her lip and I was struck by the fact that I was looking at Dani. Not - I can’t tell you where I live, Dani - or - I have deep dark secrets you’re not allowed to know about, Dani - but the real deal. Her face was flushed with triumph, her smile open and free.

“I got a 91.”

“Yay.” She squeezed my shoulder, bouncing on her feet.

“You seem pretty excited. Don’t you get marks like this all the time?”

She drew in a breath, reality suddenly catching up with her. At that moment, I hated myself. Whatever I’d just said had closed off the valve. Her smile was still there, but her reserved field flew back into place as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, I mean I do, okay.” She shrugged. “I just don’t normally study with others and I guess I’m grateful that you helped me get such a high score.”

It didn’t feel like the truth somehow, but I took it. Reaching for her hand, I gave it a squeeze. “Well, maybe we should study together more often.”

Her white teeth appeared as she bit her lip again, trying to contain her grin. “Maybe we should.” She glanced down. Looking shy, she held her breath then just let it out. “Want to go out and celebrate?”

This was the first time she’d initiated any kind of hanging out with me…just me. I could tell it was a big step for her and I could also tell she was thinking of it as a date.

I wanted to say yes so badly, I was practically choking on my no.

With a wince, I shook my head. “I’d really love to, but I have to go to this family dinner in San Fran tonight. It’s a thing I do with my cousins, like every month, and everyone has to be there.”

“Oh, okay.” She tried to step back, but I held her hand, keeping her in place. She grinned. “Maybe some other time?”

“Definitely some other time.” I threaded my fingers into hers and started pulling her down the corridor. A few of my friends noticed our linked hands, but I didn’t care. I liked that I was walking Dani out to my car, I liked that she was letting me hold her hand all the way.

Her slim fingers fit between mine nicely, the pressure between us even. I rubbed my thumb over her forefinger, feeling a sweet contentment. For a second she felt like mine and that felt right.

When we reached my car, her grip loosened. She wanted me to let her go and I would, in a sec. I knew what was coming and I played for a delay.

“Elliot’s having us all over to his place tomorrow night. We’ll probably just eat lots of food and watch a movie…or if Jaeda can convince us, play some type of board game. You wanna come?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like fun. They won’t mind me coming, right?”

“Nah, of course not. You’ve been hanging out with us a ton. They like you.”

She didn’t seem as convinced as I was trying to sound. Her lips pushed to the side as she nodded.

I squeezed her hand. “They’re getting to know you. That takes time.”

“I’m not sure Elliot will ever fully warm to me.”

“He has mother abandonment trust issues going on and he can be a very protective friend.” I ran my free hand through my hair, wincing at what I was about to tell her. “I dated a girl in 9th grade who turned into a full blown stalker and it didn’t go well.”

Her lips formed a sweet little O, but then broke into a smile, which she had to bite back.

“Shut up.” I chuckled. “I was young.”

“Wow.” She giggled. “That’s wow…quite impressive.”

I shook my head, feeling like the idiot I was. “Elliot was really awesome through it all. He’s a good guy. It takes a while for him to trust people, but once he does, he’ll do anything for you.”

“Including eradicating stalker chicks, it seems.”

I laughed.

“Does he think I’ll turn into one too?”

“No.” I shrugged, desperate to appear casual. “He just doesn’t know you yet.”

“I know.” She wrinkled her nose and opened her mouth as if she wanted to give me a little nugget, something to dissipate the cloud of unanswered questions between us, but she changed her mind. Her mouth closed and I hid my disappointment behind a gentle smile.

“So what time should I meet you? I mean, where should I meet you?”

My eyebrows rose, all innocent like. “I could come collect you from your place?”

Her eyes narrowed.

I sighed. “Okay, fine. Elliot lives in Presidio Court. It’s near the Country Club. We’ll probably meet for dinner, say six-thirty.”

“Okay, I can find that. What number?”