Page 6 of The Score We Never Settled

“Kiss first.”

I rear back because—no.

Absolutely freaking not.

This idiot with his green eyes, that are still locked and loaded on me, stares at me like he’s waited forever for this. But he’s hot one second and cold the other.

I can’t make him out.

And, when I do, I’m still doing something wrong.

“Never mind,” I prompt, plucking another plastic container of it from the shelf. “There’s more where that came from.”

“Fuck, I sure hope so,” Briggs quips as I turn around to leave, burning a hole in my back because I can feel him allowing his gaze to move everywhere as I walk up to the register.

I need to Google how long his suspension is because I don’t trust myself out in the open where he can ambush me again at any point.

No thanks.

2

LAYLA

Nine years ago…

“What are you doing here?”

I stare into forest green eyes that flare with shock as they meet mine, his brows collapsing together a beat later.

He’s not happy to see me.

I knew he wouldn’t be.

However, I was going to force myself through this because I’ve practiced everything I wanted to say for days beforehand.

But now that it’s here, after a four-hour car ride, I can’t.

I want to.

But…I can’t.

Briggs looks over to his right, at his fellow baseball players waiting for him to take off after practice, but he doesn’t move.

Not yet anyway.

“How did you get here?”

“Drove.”

He snaps his neck back to me. “Drovewhat?” I bite down on my lower lip, fully ready for his reaction, and he scowls. Hissharp jaw hardened in sheer irritation. “You drove that broken-down Chevy through the damn mountains, Layla Jean?”

Yes.

I begin fidgeting with my fingers, fighting the nerves threatening to get the better of me. “Well, I couldn’t afford a plane ticket?—”

“So, you risked breakin’ down in the middle of nowhere?” I open my lips to answer that I wanted to see him—in any capacity—but he cuts me off again. “Your uncle know?” I shake my head, and he scowls. “Of course, he doesn’t.”

“I had to see you, Briggs. After everything…”