I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(61)

“Hey.” I pulled her hand from her pocket and threaded my fingers through hers. “It wasn’t your fault at all.” Pulling her to a stop, I made her look at me. “Yesterday was important. We both needed it.”

“I know.” Her smile was coy. “As terrifying as it was for me, it was also one of the best days of my life.”

“Me too.”

“I’m just sorry if it causes friction with you and your friends. I don’t want to do anything to ruin what you have.”

“You won’t. We’ve been friends for a long time and as hard as it is for me not to tell them stuff, they’ll just have to live with it.”

She looked nervous as she nodded.

“I told you I wouldn’t tell them…and I won’t.”

“Thank you,” she mouthed and I could see just how much it meant to her.

Guilt singed me again as I thought about my words to Uncle Alex last night, but I comforted myself with the fact she’d never find out…well, at least not until I could present her with all the facts and sell her the idea that the * who stole her life was going down for his crimes.

“Want to come over for dinner tonight?”

“Yes.” She grinned.

“Good, cause my mom won’t stop asking when you’re coming back again.”

“You’re a lucky guy, Zach. You have a great life.”

“I know it.” I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles. “And it just got better too.” I cupped the back of her head and gently kissed her, sucking her lower lip before pulling away. Her smile was euphoric and warmed me to my core.

She was worth this.

It would be hard keeping secrets from my family and friends, especially Elliot, but he’d come around.

I’d take him out this weekend, we’d have some guy time and things would be back to normal.

Everything would be okay.





Chapter 29





ZACH


May 2014





Everything was not okay. Elliot didn’t come around and when I asked him if he wanted to hang out on the weekend he said he was busy. Liar. It had been a really crappy week and our friendship had never been in such a tenuous position.

To make matters worse, it wasn’t the only friendship suffering. Every time Dani and I popped out of our love bubble we were met with growing hostility. It’s not that we were trying to avoid my friends, we were still eating lunch with them and hanging out as usual, but they knew something was up and the fact I refused to budge whenever Dani was out of earshot irked them something chronic. It made me want to stay away from them and just bask in Dani’s sweet company, but I didn’t want to lose my friends and so I kept trying…and failing. By the end of the week, things were at a hot simmer.

Jaeda was pissed at me because I’d made Elliot mad. AJ was continually trying to lighten the mood by cracking jokes that even ended up annoying Liesl. They never fought but parted in a huff after lunch on Friday.

I ignored the bell and pressed my forehead into my palms as my friends all scattered.

“What is up with everyone?” Dani rubbed my back. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? Elliot hates me and is turning them all against me.”

With a sigh, I raised my head and glanced at her. “It’s not that. They just know something’s up and I won’t tell them. I think deep down Elliot’s worried that I’m getting myself into shit again. But a promise is a promise.” My tone was terser than I meant it to be.

Guilt scuttled over Dani’s face, but it was mingled with irritation. “You know, maybe us being together is a bad idea. I don’t want to come between you and your friends.” She started to rise from her seat, but I snatched her hand before she could.

“I’m not going through this just so I can lose you.”

“You shouldn’t be going through it at all. You’re a senior at this amazing school with awesome friends. You should be living it up…not putting up with my crap.”

“I don’t put up with you. I choose you.” I tried to tug her to sit down, but she wouldn’t budge. “They’re my friends; they’ll get over it.”

“I don’t know whether Elliot will.”

“Well, that’s his problem!” Since when did I turn into such a jerk?

‘This is why I shouldn’t stay.” She squeezed my hand. “I don’t want to cause a rift between you and your friends. You’re such a tight group. I’m messing everything up.”

“Well, maybe if you told them the truth, it’d bring us all back together.”

Her bright blue eyes grew dark and stormy. “Don’t ask me to do that.” She wriggled her hand free.

“Hey! You two! Get to class!” Principal Hurst called across the tables.

“Sorry, sir.” I waved as he briskly walked past the cafeteria to his office. He looked distracted and annoyed over something and didn’t look back to check we’d moved. So I stayed put. Dani and I needed to finish this.

I stood slowly, not wanting any sudden movements to make her back away from me. “Dani, I’m not asking you to spill everything. Maybe just tell them the part about your parents and that’s why you have to be secretive. Even that much would appease Elliot.”