The horn fell silent.
“No. Yes. Christ, if it’ll get you to listen to me—to us—then yes, hopefully your neighbors will call the cops.” Lily shoved a hand through her damp hair and plopped back on her butt.
“The paint job, babe.” JC’s tone was pained.
“Oh, jeez, it’s just my ass.”
“You have those crystal things on your pockets—”
“I’m moving, jerkoff.”
Listening to them argue made me smile in spite of my irritation that I’d come outside in just a towel only to have Lily hit me with rocks. Why, I didn’t know.
Worse was that insidious sensation of hope trying to creep through my veins.
“Why are you here?” I wasn’t sure they could hear me over the street noises and the tapping rain.
“I tried calling and you wouldn’t answer. So it stood to reason you wouldn’t buzz us up either, and we need to talk to you.” Lily stood next to the fender and crossed her arms. JC climbed out and mirrored her pose, which nearly caused me to laugh until I remembered nothing was funny about this situation.
Not one damn thing.
My first inclination was to give them the tired spiel. I was exhausted. But sleep wasn’t in my future anyway, and I was done lying—to myself and them.
“So talk.”
JC reached out and slid her hand free from under her arm, then brought it to his lips. My gut twisted with longing and more. So much more. “I told you that I asked her father for permission to date her tonight. What I didn’t tell you is part of the reason I made that move was because—” He stopped, looking at Lily.
“Finish it,” she said in an undertone.
“I wanted to force you to admit you were with us too,” he said in a rush, so fast I barely made out all of what he’d said. “I thought it would make you jealous enough you’d stop fucking hiding and tell the people who matter that we matter to you.”
I frowned. “You mean like Lily’s dad.”
“Yes.” JC set his jaw. “And like Lily herself. And me, okay? Fucking me too.”
My pulse sped, the street noises becoming lost under the thud in my ears. “But you never told us how you felt. After last weekend, she started backing off. Yet I’m the problem?”
“You’ve always been the fucking problem.” JC kicked one of the tires and Lily’s mouth dropped open. “It was your fault we didn’t get together until a few weeks ago. With Lil, I would’ve made the move a year ago. Hell, two.”
“You would’ve?” she asked softly.
“Hell yeah. I wanted you from day one.” He jerked his chin up at me and nearly spat out the words. “And him too. The fucking bastard.”
I gripped the railing, unsure I’d remain upright otherwise. What he was saying was hitting me harder than the pebbles had.
“And see, he’s still not speaking. I’m standing here putting my heart on the line and what do I get? What do we get?” He might’ve not been getting anything, but the tire got another kick. “Nada.”
“You haven’t really put your heart out there.” Lily laid a hand on his arm. “Swearing and bitching isn’t a heartfelt declaration. I haven’t said anything either,” she added as he started to argue. “But I’m going to now, and I’m going to say it clear so there’s no confusion.”
She shifted toward me and lifted her face, letting the streetlights play over her damp cheeks and parted lips. I imagined them trembling, and how they would feel under my fingertips.
And God, I trembled too.
“I love you, Emerson. I’m in love with you. I don’t know when it started, exactly, but I know when it’s going to end. Never. I’m never going to stop loving you,” she said fiercely, and the fingers I’d wrapped around the railing went white at the knuckles. “You can close down on me whenever you like, you can make me have to dig out your feelings one by one with a teaspoon, but I’m still going to keep right on loving you.” She blew out a shaky breath. “So…there.”
She jabbed an elbow into JC’s side. “Your turn.”
“Wait, I have to go before he speaks?”