Page 31 of The No Try Zone
She raises her eyebrows. She’s serious.
“Oh, sorry,” Ryan stammers. “I should have –”
“You’re good, Ryan,” I assure him, then cut back to Sam. “Yeah, I can. Not really sure what I did.”
She shrugs. “Sometimes the body does weird things.”
It sure as fuck does.
“I’ll come back,” Ryan says, nodding at Sam. “Sam. Good to see you.” He backs out and shuts the door.
Sam drops my wrist like it’s on fire.
I speak quickly, knowing I should find Ryan to make sure he doesn’t suspect anything. “We need to figure out a way to work together, Sam. For your brother’s sake.”
She takes another step away from me and sighs. “I know.”
“So can we at least agree not to shoot virtual daggers at each other?”
“I wasn’t doing that,” she counters.
I chuckle. “Okay, Sam. The sky is cerulean and you don’t look at me like you want to kill me every time you see me.”
“I don’t!”
“You’re adorable when you lie.” The words come out so easily that it takes a moment to realize what I’ve just said.
Sam blinks at me, rendered silent for one blissful pause.
I shove my hand through my hair, pushing it off my forehead. “I know we can’t be…friends…but can we at least be civil to each other?”
She straightens and clenches her jaw, walking to the door and grabbing the knob before turning those flawless blues on me once again. “Sure. Once you get me those annulment papers, we’ll be right as rain. Or divorce papers. Either way. Until then, stay away from me.”
Chapter12
Sam
“IHATE HIM.” The declaration is immediate.
Allyson laughs. “You’ve got strong feelings for him, all right. But they’re not hate.”
“Shut up,” I huff.
“I think it’s romantic.” Elodie sighs for dramatic effect.
“It’s not romantic – it’s a PR nightmare in the making,” Kari says.
We’re all lounging by the covered pool at Elodie and Ansel’s house. It’s a Sunday in early November, but the sun is out, so that means it feels absolutely amazing – especially if you’re in a sweatshirt and leggings like me.
“Nothing’s going to happen,” I tell Kari. “No nightmares, I promise.”
The utter disbelief on her face makes us all laugh. “I see how he looks at you, Sam. So forgive me if I don’t believe you.”
Ignoring that little tidbit of him looking at me, I close my eyes and tilt my head up to the sky, letting the sunshine soak in. It’s been a few weeks since I argued with Colin in his office, and nothing has gotten easier. Every time I see him, my stomach seems to claw its way up my throat while the rest of my body simmers with rage. I want to slaughter him…and God, I want to kiss him.
It’s so bad, and I’msoconfused.
“Tell them what happened when you saw him on the pitch the other day,” Elodie prompts.
