Derailed (Clayton Falls #1)(16)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

My body was exhausted from lack of sleep, but it felt nice to stretch my muscles. Trying to show up Gavin forced me to push myself a little harder than usual, which was probably a good thing. I didn’t mind his company too much, although I was definitely aware of him looking over at me several times.

“This is me,” he said about two miles further up the coast.

“Oh, well, nice seeing you.” I stopped. It was as good a time as any to turn around and start back. I was supposed to be at work at six forty-five, so I had plenty of time, but I didn’t know how far I could push myself.

He wiped sweat off his forehead and shook out some of the moisture from his shirt. “So have you thought about dinner?”

And I thought I’d escaped it. “Sure, but only as friends, it’s not a date.” I’m not sure why I said yes; maybe because I couldn’t think of a rational reason not to. Besides, if I didn’t get out with other people, I’d probably spend all my nights hooking up with Ben, and that wouldn’t be smart.

He grinned. “Great. Thursday night at six-thirty?”

I got a little suspicious at how detailed he was. “You didn’t already make reservations somewhere, did you?”

His smile grew even bigger. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Have a great day. I’ll see you soon!” He waved, sprinting toward the road.

“Bye,” I called after him before heading home thinking that I should have run my usual route.

***

“You want me to what?” I asked Kelly as we sat at the same table at Marney’s Ben had occupied a few days earlier. I absently ran my fingers over the scratches in the black veneer of the tabletop. Someone had gone through a lot of effort to carve in their initials, J.H., especially in such a visible spot.

“Take some engagement shots. Nothing too fancy, but maybe you can make them artistic. We don’t want cookie cutter.”

“You do realize I’m not a professional photographer, right?”

“Uh huh,” Kelly said innocently. She had entirely too much time on her hands now that school was out for the summer. “But we’re on a tight budget with the wedding and everything, so I thought… I mean, we can pay you if you want.”

“You don’t have to pay me. I just can’t promise you’re going to love what I come up with.”

“Of course I will. So maybe Saturday? Want to do the beach?”

The more I thought about it, the more fun it started to sound. “I was actually thinking the marina. But we can do the beach if you prefer.”

“No, the marina sounds great. Or wait, I have an even better idea.”

“Let’s hear it,” I said, not sure what to expect.

“Let’s go out on a boat. You know, get open water shots.”

“Like on Tom’s speedboat?”

“No, I was thinking more like one of the Mathews’s. They have that gorgeous one they use for events. If we had more money, we’d totally have rented it out for the wedding. But maybe they wouldn’t charge us to just use it for an hour.”

“Well, you’ll have to ask Mr. Mathews then.”

“Can’t you ask Ben?”

“Kelly.” I couldn’t believe she was putting me on the spot like this.

“I mean, you’ve talked to him since Gill’s, right? I figure you wouldn’t be in such a good mood otherwise.”

I looked away, not willing to meet her eyes. “Maybe.”

“Molly Marie Sander, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Could you keep it down?” The last thing I needed was for Gail to come out and hear this. She’d never let me live it down.

“Spill it,” Kelly demanded.

“Hey, weren’t you the one trying to hook me up with Gavin?”

“Oh come on, you know I was only sucking up to Tom.”

“What about the whole ‘give it a chance’ speech?” I asked, still looking for a way out of having to admit everything to her. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about what happened—let alone having to share it.

“Gavin shmavin, he’s not the one you’re holding out on me about.”

“Okay fine, I’ve seen him twice.”

“Twice?” Kelly yelped, almost falling out of her seat.

“Once that night after I left the bar, and then again last night.”

“So what did these visits consist of?”

“None of your business.” I messed with the tabletop again, giving myself an excuse to look down.

“I’m your best friend. It’s all my business. I never held back on you about Tom and me.”

“I wish you would.”

“Very funny.”

“Fine. The first night we kissed.” I decided to leave out the part about me being in my underwear.

“And last night?” I could tell the suspense was killing her.

“Last night he was waiting for me when I got home, and well, it didn’t stop with a kiss.”

Kelly squealed, jumping out of her chair to get to me across the table. “How much more than a kiss?”

“A lot more.” I so didn’t want to be discussing this, especially not at Marney’s.

“You slept with him?” Kelly yelled. “Wow. So are you guys back together again?”

I looked around the empty café, hoping Gail hadn’t heard Kelly’s outburst. “No. Absolutely not.”

“So it was just one time?”

“Not necessarily.”

“Then what?” I sensed some disapproval in her voice, but chose to ignore it.

“We’re, uh, going to try to do a causal sex only thing.” Man, it sounded worse when I said it out loud.

She shook her head. “No way. No freaking way. There is no way that you and Ben can do that. Not possible.”

“Well, it’s all I’m okay with.”

“You can’t do the hook up only thing with an ex. It’s not going to work.”

“Based on what experience…”

“Books, movies, common sense.” She looked at me like it was the most obvious conclusion in the world.

“She’s right, you know.” Gail pulled up a chair and sat with us. “History can complicate things.”

“Please. No.” I covered my ears. I didn’t need to get a lecture on the pitfalls of casual sex from someone my grandmother’s age.