Everyone’s stares land on me, and I start to back peddle, “I really don’t want to impose.”
“Trust me,” Emma laughs, “Hearing Eric get all riled up over Ashton Slade is way better than hearing him mope about Hanna. So please, stay.”
Eric’s eyes have never left mine, and they’re burning into me, waiting for me to answer, begging for me to agree.
I nod silently and try to turn the conversation to anything but my dating life, and luckily Emma likes to talk about well— Emma. So I just listen and push my salad around my plate with my fork. I almost completely zone out when Ty and Rich start talking football.
“What’s wrong with you?” Eric whispers.
I tilt my eyes to meet his and melt with the heat I feel when they look back into mine. It’s the same way he looked at me the other night before his perfect lips nearly touched mine.
“Nothing,” I whisper back, placing my fork neatly on my napkin next to my nearly full plate.
“Bullshit.”
“What do you mean bullshit?” I whisper, “I told you I’m fine.”
He picks my fork up and shoves it back into my hand, “I mean, that’s bullshit. Something is wrong.”
“I’m just not hungry,” I snap.
I’m not that hungry, but in reality, this all feels a little weird. This man almost married my best friend. He bought her a ring and gave her his word, yet I’m here fantasizing about him kissing me? Eating dinner with his family as if I belong? No. This is wrong.
I stand up and toss money on the table. “Guys, I’m sorry, but I’ve already stayed too long. It was a pleasure to meet you all.”
Ty laughs and wraps his arm around Emma’s shoulder, “Yeah, better get back to those fish.”
I internally cringe and offer them a tight-lipped smile, getting the hell out of there before any of them can pull me back. Relief washes over me when the outside air hits my face, and I dig through my purse to pull out my phone and order a ride.
I confirm the car and smile when it says it’s only a few minutes away.
“We need to talk,” Eric’s familiar voice grabs my attention from behind.
“No, we really shouldn’t,” I sigh.
“Why not? You are clearly upset about the other night.”
I drop my phone into my bag, “I’m not upset, Eric.”
“Well, what is it? We’re still friends. We can talk, right?”
I stare into his eyes, the dark blue color calming me, and I’d be lying if I said it felt like a friend staring back at me. I know that we can never happen, but when he looks at me like that, it twists me up inside.
“Jolene?” He whispers, “We’re still friends, right?”
The black Camry I’ve been waiting for pulls up to the curb.
“That’s my ride,” I acknowledge, his pleading eyes causing me to hesitate a moment.
“Stop looking at me like that,” I almost whine.
His glare doesn’t waver, “Don’t let what I did the other night ruin our friendship.”
I open the car door, ready to slide in, but the feel of his fingers against my forearm stops me. The way the pad of his thumb rubs against my bony wrist takes my breath.
“Karly, please just say something.”
The way he uses my real name makes my stomach turn with nerves. Maybe the other night truly was just a mistake for him, and that messes with my head the most. Because for me, I felt everything, and that was scary. It was terrifying because Eric Blackwood was off-limits.