He rolled his eyes. “She just didn’t want to accept with you sitting there.”
“And why would me being here have anything to do with it?”
He shrugged. “I think you forgot we drove together here. You need me to drop you off at your office or the dig site?”
Turning back to watch Hollie walk away, I had to fight the urge to follow her.
With a shake of my head, I answered, “I’ve got an errand to run first. I’ll just walk back.”
Hitting me on the shoulder, he gave me a knowing smile. “Watch out, Lucas. The wall you have up is starting to slip.”
I shot him a dirty look as he laughed and then started toward his car. Once he was around the corner, I started walking toward The Covens Magick Cottage.
Hollie
Kristin handed me a cup of tea, then flopped down onto the giant bean bag chair in my living room.
“He actually gave you a compliment?”
Smiling, I answered, “Yep. And he meant it. It was so weird. We didn’t bicker at all. The only jabs thrown were at the very end when we were both leaving.”
“Progress,” she said before taking a sip of her tea. “Only took…how many years?”
Sighing, I leaned back in the chair. “Shawn was hinting at taking me out.”
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
“Yep,” I said as I popped my “P.” “And the worst part was, Lucas wasn’t even fazed by it. Like he seriously could have cared less about Shawn flirting.”
Kristin leaned forward. “I told you back in high school, I thought Shawn was into you. Hell, most of Lucas’s friends liked you. You know why none of them ever asked you out, don’t you?”
I shook my head. “Enlighten me with your wisdom.”
She shot me a smug look. “It’s because they never wanted to cross that line. There has always been an imaginary line between you and Lucas. In order to stay true to their friendship with him, they never pursued you.”
“An imaginary line?” I repeated.
“Yes. It’s like the two of you have put up this wall that neither of you will cross. I think Lucas likes you and has for some time.”
I huffed as I rolled my eyes. “That is ridiculous, Kristin.”
“It’s true! Larry told me.”
I sat forward. Larry was one of Lucas’s friends. “He told you what? Did Lucas tell them not to ask me out?”
She shook her head. “No! He never actually told any of them that. They just all assumed it. Like, one of their stupid unspoken rules. Like, you can’t date your best friend’s sister and crap like that. But Larry said when Lucas doesn’t think people are looking, he watches you.”
Tilting my head, I let her words settle in. “Watches me?”
She nodded and took a sip of her tea. “And you said today after lunch, Lucas said he was going back to his office, but you saw him outside of Lucy’s store.”
“Yeah, that was strange. I felt him before I saw him.”
A single brow rose.
“I’m serious, Kirstin. It was weird. Why would he follow me there and then not come inside?”
Letting out an exaggerated breath, she said, “Here’s a crazy idea. Have you ever thought of just telling Lucas how you feel about him?”