Love Story (Love Unexpectedly 3)

“You mean while you were stuffing your face with Real Housewives and sour cream, sobbing into your diary? Wouldn’t you like to know. Now get dressed. Do something with your face.”

I blink. “What’s wrong with my face?”

If I wa

s hoping for a compliment I’m disappointed, because he ignores the question and ambles toward the window with a whistle. “Nice view.”

“Yours isn’t the same?”

He shoves his hands into his pockets. “Nope. I didn’t have the whole sad girl in a sexy outfit thing going on when I checked in, so no free upgrade. My room was on the poor person side, looking out at a dumpster.”

“Was?” I ask in confusion at the past tense. The plan has always been to stay two nights in Miami, and seeing as it’s already four P.M. and he wants to go out, there’s no way we’re driving anywhere else tonight.

With a grin, Reece turns and plops on the couch, patting the cushions with both palms, before draping his arms over the back of the sofa. “Fold-out bed, am I right?”

“Ah—” It probably is. I think I remember the guy at check-in say something about that, but I was in such a daze….

“You can’t stay here tonight,” I say.

“Sure I can,” he says, leaning forward and linking his fingers between his spread thighs. The confidence is damn sexy. Also, annoying. “I’m all for you celebrating the end of that shitty relationship, Luce, but I can’t afford another night here. For that matter, neither can you. We’ll split the cost of this room tonight.”

It’s a practical idea, but not a smart one. Reece and I in the same car is bad enough. In the same bedroom…

But the way his attention’s on his cellphone tells me I’m the only one whose thoughts are headed that direction. “Hurry up. We’re grabbing cocktails before dinner.”

I blink at him. “Cocktails. Who are you?”

The Reece I knew hated restaurants. Was more the type to make sandwiches and take you to a secluded pond somewhere to kiss you senseless rather than out for cocktails.

Then again, to be fair, we were teenagers.

Still, it’s a little jarring to realize that he can surprise me. For so long, I’ve thought I had him pinned, could anticipate every move.

Now I’m realizing that I knew the boy. I knew the boy better than he knew himself.

But the man? The man is new. The man is hot.

And even as I bite my lip and contemplate the wisdom of spending an evening in his company, I know that I’ll do it anyway.

Because suddenly I’m desperate. Desperate to know the man as well as I knew the boy.

For the first time I realize that maybe there’s hope for me and Reece to get back to what we were before. Friends. Good friends.

Just…minus the whole messy falling in love part this time.

Because that shit hurt.

Chapter 18

LUCY, SEVENTEEN, REECE, EIGHTEEN

Lucy sat at the big round table, her thumb clasping and unclasping the magnetic fastener of her pink lace clutch over and over, even as she tried to look relaxed.

Tried to look like she was sitting here all alone at prom because she wanted to be.

Next year, she told herself. Next year will be better.

At Jefferson High, both juniors and seniors could attend prom. She’d never really understood why you were allowed to go two years, but she did now.