Page 40 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
I followed his gaze around the gym. “All of what?”
“The whole Legacy thing. That the entire town expects us to have our lives figured out already. What if we don’t?”
Our dancing slowed to a barely there sway as we studied each other. “You don’t?”
“Does anyone?”
And then I saw it. A flash of uncertainty behind his eyes like it lived there. Maybe his life wasn’t golden. The more time I spent with him, the more fascinating he became.
We swayed in silence another minute. Electricity shot from his hands to my waist as he squeezed me a little tighter.
I had to concentrate to keep my voice light when I said, “You and Delaney looked like you were having fun.”
“I’m a mere student of the art form. DL is a good teacher.”
I threw him an arched brow. “What’s with the nickname?”
That slow-rising smile of his should’ve been illegal. “You’re jealous.”
“Pff.” I shrugged one shoulder up. “I’m… a concerned citizen at best.”
He burst out laughing. “Do you want a nickname?”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“You do.”
I huffed. “You can’t make a nickname out of my name that isn’t annoying as hell.”
Clare-bear.
He nodded slowly, still terribly amused with himself. “You can’t make a nickname out of Reid, either.”
“You could go the Rihanna route. RiRi?”
“Yeah, no.”
“I tried.”
“Very hard,” he deadpanned.
“It just seems like with Delaney—”
All at once we stopped moving. We were standing in the middle of the dance floor as he studied me. “It’s not. I like someone else.”
My stomach somersaulted. I knew I was going pink when the smirk on his face transformed into a lethal grin.
Something was happening here. Something I’d seen fall apart too many times. I didn’t date for the same reason I didn’t count on Dad. If I got too used to someone being there, it would be that much harder when they inevitably left.
“I don’t want a boyfriend,” I blurted. “I mean, that’s always been my rule. Dating complicates things, and I don’t… like complicated. And I just—I can’t afford to get distracted. Especially not this year.”
His face betrayed nothing as he took that in. But I felt relieved having said it. Better to ensure there was no confusion about what was most important to me. Legacy. Film school. Living the life my mom couldn’t because she fell for the wrong guy.
Nothingholding me back.
“Okay,” he said like he understood.
Or like he wasn’t convinced.
