Page 51 of Only You

They all chuckled, but Jack seemed distracted. “What does everyone want for lunch?”

“Chick-fil-A,” Josie and Ryan replied at the same time.

“Is that okay with you?” Jack asked Kayla.

“Sure.” Then she realized Ryan and Josie had already gotten into line and were chatting away.

Kayla and Jack exchanged a look of resignation and joined them.

During lunch, Josie and Ryan did most of the talking. Obviously, they’d hit it off and were taking the opportunity to get to know each other better. At least their friends knew the truth, so Kayla and Jack didn’t have to pretend to be a couple. Kayla should have felt relieved, but instead, she felt awkward and uncomfortable. Whenever she looked up from eating her chicken strips and waffle fries, Jack was staring at her.

Finally, they finished eating, and Kayla glanced at her watch. “This was fun, but we should get back to shopping.”

“What are you ladies doing later?” Ryan asked.

Hiding from Jack, thought Kayla.

“Nothing. Why?” asked Josie.

“We should all meet up for drinks,” Ryan suggested.

Josie’s eyes shone brighter than Kayla had ever seen them.

“That sounds great!” Josie said.

Great? It sounded like pure torture. “Maybe,” said Kayla.

“Jack, what about you?” Ryan asked.

Jack gazed at Kayla for what felt like a long time. “Sure. Why not?”

While Ryan and Josie discussed where and when to meet, Kayla zoned out. The details were irrelevant because she didn’t plan on going. What she needed was a night at home alone. Just because she and Jack lived together didn’t mean they had to be on top of each other. On top of each other? Hmm. No! Don’t go there!

Ryan and Josie exchanged phone numbers in case there was a change in plans, but Kayla recognized it for what it was. The two of them were sparkling with energy and anticipation of the night ahead. In the meantime, she and Jack were quietly contemplative.

As the foursome left the food court, Jack sidled up next to her. “See you at home later?”

“You’re going out,” she reminded him.

“I have to come home and change first.”

Jack was wearing jeans, a long-sleeved waffle weave shirt, and brown boots. He looked like a walking ad for an outdoor store. “What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?”

“It’s not exactly bar wear,” he said.

Kayla shook her head. “It’s fine.”

He eyed her closely. “You don’t want me to come home tonight, do you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s your house.”

Jack leaned in and lowered his voice. “We should talk about it.”

Ryan and Josie were walking ahead of them and focused only on each other.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Kayla insisted.

“I disagree.”