Page 14 (1/2)

Clearing her throat, Lucy drops her gaze "Let’s see if we can find you a band aid and a lollipop"

She pushes herself up and takescontact My fingers bunch the hair at the back of her neck and I pull her closer Her gray eyes get that stor I cause that It o hard and I want her to knoant her to understand the way she affects me, too

I trailit at the sexy curve above her ass I push until her hips press into ut

What the fuck a?

I drop my hands and step back Damn it I’ the different e over her face Each one is er

"I know I said we don’t have to label this, but I can’t live in li for you to decide what you want Either I’m worth it to you or I’m not If you don’t want a relationship that’s fine, but don’t leadlike you want me…just to push me away"

"You don’t want a relationship either" I don’t knohy that’s what I choose to say when really I want to apologize--to explain I wasn’t trying to lead her on I want her soharder to control, but I’ scary as hell

She laughs harshly "I want a relationship, Park You don’t"

"You don’t want one witha question A really big question

Her eyes narrow as she flicks theive" She turns around and pauses halfway through the doorway shaking her head She whirls back on me "No You knohat? I do want it I want to be with youelse in my life What I don’t want is to be hurt and I think you’d be really good at hurtingof a prick I am because I want to lie and promise her I’d never hurt her I want to say whatever I need to to make her stay

"I don’t want to hurt you, Lucy, but I will"

She blinks quickly and I know she’s holding back tears "I don’t even knohat to say to that Congratulations, you’re a bastard?"

I shake my head slowly "This is who I am"

She closes her eyes "And this is who I am I don’t sleep around I don’t kno to turn off ht stand I need ain, her expression is unreadable "I don’t want to keep doing this I don’t want to wait to be enough for you If we can’t be more than friends, then you can’t try to kiss s to us"

No it doesn’t

"Okay"

"Okay?" She pushes her fingers through her hair I fistfor her

"Okay," I repeat

"Yeah Okay Great I’ve got to take my brothers home I’ll see you later"

I watch her as she leavesin the kitchen As soon as the front door closes, I sink into the chair My head drops to ain

Lucy’s Rules:

1 Make the conscious decision to look at others with an open mind and an open heart

2 Everybody needs someone in their life they can rely on Try to be that person

3 Take a chance

4 Love whole-heartedly (Unless in the presence of Park Reed--in which case, guard your heart at all cost)

5 Make it your goal to make someone smile daily

6 Always expect more of yourself today than you did yesterday

7 Noin the goodness of others (?)

17

Lucy

Regret: A sense of loss or disappoint of sorrow or rele word I said to Park in his kitchen three days ago I miss him He asked me to accept him for who he is and I shot him down I can’t believe I did that I told ive up on him I don’t kno to make this better

When Chase and Guy sit in his booth, I al That’s Park’s spot

I put s out of his eyes and sht now "He send you to keep an eye on ested a nice place for ry"

"Which was Hell," Chase interjects, "if I rerees "But I like the pie here better Not as sulfery"

"Mm" I nod "A little better at with despair," Chase concurs

"Si around the sh for the first time in three days And then my vision blurs as my eyes fill with tears I blink them back quickly "How is he?"

"He’s Park," Chase says flatly "He’s indecisive and moody"

"But how is he?"