“No, of course.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.” He brushed his lips against her forehead and ran a hand over her hair. “And Brynn?”
“Mm?”
“Happy birthday. I hope you don’t think I was overlooking it. I was just playing it down, since I know you’re not a fan of birthdays. I tried to tell your sister, but…”
“I know. Sophie is…persistent.”
“But you’re not upset about the party? Or are the earrings not what you wanted?”
Brynn set her hand on his. He was sweet. Oblivious at times, but sweet.
“Just the headache,” she said, burrowing deeper into the blanket.
“Okay,” he said, pulling the covers around her chin. “I’ll make breakfast tomorrow?”
“That sounds nice. Just granola, though, since I won’t have time to work out before my first appointment.”
She heard the bedroom door close behind James and rolled onto her side to stare out at the cloudy night. A lump formed in her throat. Had her life really become a string of just-granola mornings?
Something was seriously wrong.
And it wasn’t just that she was another year older.
It wasn’t just that her boyfriend was proving to be a bit self-absorbed.
What really had Brynn terrified was that in the moment after she realized James wasn’t going to propose she’d felt…
Relieved.
And she feared that the relief had everything to with the reappearance of one William Thatcher.
CHAPTER FOUR
Help your neighbors and they’ll help you.
—Brynn Dalton’s Rules for an
Exemplary Life, #98
Brynn hadn’t even had a chance to get to her locker when her best friend pounced on her in the hallway, dragging her into an alcove.
“What the hell, Angela?”
But her annoyance faded into concern at the stricken expression on her friend’s face.
“What’s wrong??
?
Her friend chewed her lip. “You haven’t seen?”
Brynn glanced at the clock on the wall. She had seven minutes until first period. Not nearly enough time to deal with Angela’s penchant for drama.
“Haven’t seen what?” she asked impatiently.
Her friend wouldn’t meet her eyes. “You know how the other day after cheer practice you said someone had taken your bra out of your bag in the locker room?”