Jen grinned. “A romance novel, maybe?”
I looked over at Dylan and chuckled. “Maybe,” I said.
I didn’t want to get too far ahead of myself. I was heading up to the lake house either way, I had decided. If things didn’t work out with Dylan, it would be good to get away from the city for a bit, and my lease was coming up soon.
I was definitely going to ask him about joining me, though. Or at least coming to visit his cousins for a bit. Just to give us a little more time to get to know one another. There was plenty that we needed to talk about, and I wasn’t ready to lose him yet.
In any case, heading up to Maine had the added benefit of getting away from Bobby for a while. I loved my brother dearly, but I couldn't help thinking that maybe if I took some time away from him, he would maybe start to see me as an adult, capable of making my own decisions in life.
These were all good things.
Maybe I was moving too fast. After all, Dylan and I didn’t even know where we stood with one another. But I kept flashing back to the way that I had felt at the hospital, worried sick when Dylan had gone down in that fight. I didn’t want to lose him; this was crystal clear to me. We could figure out the rest together.
At least, I hoped that we could. I knew it wasn’t entirely up to me. I had to talk to Dylan, to see how he felt about me and about us. Surely, I meant something to him? He had been so quick to comfort me at the hospital even if he was the one lying in bed with bloody knuckles.
Sure, then we had messed it all up, saying all sorts of things that we shouldn’t have and probably hadn’t meant. The tension between us had finally been too much.
Despite everything that had happened, though, I was certain that we both had feelings for one another, feelings that were worth exploring even if they didn’t last forever. As much as I was terrified of losing him and letting myself get any closer to him just to have it end in heartache, I knew that I would never forgive myself if I didn’t give it a try.
And he had shown up for me, first coming to the arena to find me when I hadn’t called him, and then at the bar the other night. It had to mean something.
“So does Bobby know?” Jen asked as we watched the boxers sizing one another up on opposite sides of the ring.
I shook my head. “No way,” I said. “The last thing I wanted was to give him a reason to come out here and kill Dylan.”
Jen laughed. “Fair enough,” she said. “You think it’ll be better after the match?”
I shrugged. “He doesn’t have a choice,” I declared. “He’s just going to have to get used to it.”
The truth was, I also hadn’t wanted to tell Bobby about my plans before I’d talked to Dylan first. I had only mentioned to my brother that I was heading up to the lake house for a bit. I hadn’t told him for how long. I certainly hadn’t told him that I was planning on inviting a certain tattooed, motorcycle-driving bad boy to join me.
For now, Bobby didn’t need to know about it.
I swallowed hard as Dylan caught my eye. I gave him a little wave, still not sure where we stood. It was promising that he had called me the other night and showed up at the bar looking for me.
I was sure that was why he had been there the night before. I’d noticed his posture, turned slightly away from the woman sitting next to him, his face polite but closed off. He had caught my eye the second I’d walked through the door, and he had stood up, like he had just been waiting for me.
Regardless of what had been said the last time I’d seen him, and regardless of what Bobby seemed to think, I was sure that Dylan had been there to see me.
And then he had called me.
We hadn’t said much. I had told him immediately that I wanted to wait and talk things out after the fight. I just wanted this chapter over and done with, so that Dylan and I could have a fresh start. Even if we hadn’t said much over the phone, that tense silence between us had spoken louder than words ever could.
Now, there was no silence anywhere in the arena. It seemed like nearly everyone was on their feet cheering or jeering equally as loud. As Dylan smiled at me and mouthed a quick hello, it felt as if we were the only ones in the room. I ducked my head, blushing.
When I straightened up again, the match had already started.
It had never felt this nerve-wracking to watch a match before. If Dylan and Bobby ever came up against one another again, I knew right then and there that there was no way I could be in the arena. This was bad enough.
I buried my face against Jen’s shoulder, feeling sick to my stomach. “Let me know when it’s over,” I groaned.
She laughed in response, the traitor. “Should I give you the play by play?” she teased.
“I don't even want to know that,” I said, shaking my head. “Just tell me when someone has won.”
The trouble was that with my eyes closed, I couldn’t help but picture Dylan sprawled out on the mat again. The last thing I wanted was for
