“What’s wrong?”
I turn to look at her and she sighs before closing the bedroom door and setting Brooklyn down on the floor.
“I have to call and cancel.”
She shakes her head, a determined look on her face. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting you do that. You can do this, Sis.”
“I can’t,” I whisper, my hands shaking even harder. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking when I agreed to this date last night but I can’t actually go through with it. She plops down on the bed.
“Why not?”
I turn back to the mirror and inspect myself again. “I’m not ready.”
“That’s just fear, Quinn. It doesn’t mean that you’re not ready and if you cling to that excuse, you’ll never find love. Next.”
“It’s not good for Brooklyn for me to be going out…”
“Yeah, I’m calling bullshit right now,” she interrupts me, holding her hand up. “Brooklyn is a baby and will never remember this one date, if that’s all it is but if it’s more, I’m damn sure that having more people to love her will never be a bad thing. Next.”
I suck in a breath. “He won’t tell me anything about his past…”
“That’s the point of the date, big sister. You guys go out and eat or see a movie and you get to know each other. Besides, I highly doubt you’ve spilled everything about yourself.”
“I told him about Grams and Mom and Dad.”
She scoffs. “That’s the easy stuff and you know it.”
“I am scared, Al.”
Alice crosses her legs on the bed and nods like she knew that all along. I sigh and turn to face her again.
“What are you scared of, Quinn?”
“Showing him all the broken pieces,” I answer, staring down at my hands.
“No, that’s not it…”
Sucking in a breath, I meet her eyes and glare because damn her for being right all the time. “I’m scared that he won’t accept all the broken pieces.”
“Because?”
“Because I really like him - more than anyone else I’ve ever met.”
Smiling, she points at me. “And there it is.”
“You’re annoying.”
“But effective,” she replies and I laugh despite the urge to stay mad at her. “Feeling better?”
I shrug. “I suppose.”
“Seriously, Quinn. It’s just one date. Go out and have fun with Lucas - who, by the way, I happen to think is someone special.”
“You do?” I don’t know why I need her validation but hearing her say that he seems different than any other guy I’ve brought home makes a difference to me. She nods.
“Definitely. The man sat in a hospital for hours just to make sure you were okay. I know you’ve been out of the dating game for a while but dudes like him don’t come around all that often.”
The doorbell rings, pulling both of our gazes toward the door and Alice hops off the bed before scooping Brooklyn up in her arms.
“I’ll stall him for a few minutes. Take a breath, get yourself together, and then make a stunning entrance, ‘kay?”
I laugh and nod. “Okay.”
She kisses my cheek and ducks out of the room as I turn back to the mirror and suck in a breath.
It is just one date.
I repeat that mantra in my head a few times before touching up my makeup and running a hand gently through my hair to break up the curls. When I’m feeling steadier, I grab my bag and walk out of my bedroom. Lucas’s voice drifts up from the foyer and I stop at the top of the stairs, listening to his conversation with Alice.
“You’d better treat my sister right,” Alice warns and I smile, shaking my head. “She’s been through a lot and she deserves the world.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” he assures her, his warm voice drifting up the stairs, sending goose bumps across my skin. Butterflies stir in my belly as I start down the stairs.
“You’re damn right I don’t,” Alice adds. “I meant what I said about burying you in the yard.”
He laughs. “Noted.”
“Alice, stop threatening him,” I say as I reach the bottom of the steps and they both turn to me. Alice grins as Lucas’s gaze slowly drops down my body and back up again before we start moving toward each other, meeting in the middle of the foyer.
“These are for you.” He holds out a bouquet of red roses and I take them, burying my nose in them as I hum in approval.
“Thank you,” I reply, peeking up at him. “They’re gorgeous.”
“No, sweetheart. I’m pretty sure that’s you.”
Heat rises to my cheeks as our gazes connect and I suck in a breath as my heart gallops wildly in my chest. His lips part and my gaze drops to his mouth as his tongue darts out and runs along his bottom lip. Lord, I don’t think anything has ever looked so obscene and so innocent at the same time. My legs feel like Jell-O and I fight the urge to lean into him as I remember how good it felt to have his arms around me yesterday.
“I’ll just take these,” Alice sings, snapping us both out of a daze as she plucks the flowers from my hand and winks at me. “You two have fun.”
We watch her disappear into the kitchen with Brooklyn on her hip before Lucas turns back to me with a bemused smirk on his face.
“Uh… you ready to go?”
I nod. “Yeah. Where are we going?”
“That’s a surprise.”
I wrinkle my nose and glance down at my dress. “Well, am I dressed okay?”
“Babe, even if your outfit was wildly inappropriate for our date, I wouldn’t tell you because I’m enjoying the view too damn much.”
“Don’t try and sweet talk me, Lucas,” I tease, rolling my eyes as he laughs and pulls me into his arms.
“Would it be bad form to kiss you at the beginning of the date?” His nose brushes against mine, stealing the air from my lungs as I grip his arms and nod.
“Yes.”
“What if I can’t resist?” he asks, his minty breath hitting my face as my body floods with warmth and my heart hammers against my rib cage.
“Try harder. Besides, it will give you something to look forward to.”
“Are y’all still here?” Alice yells and I jump back as Lucas shakes his head, holding his hand out to me.
“We were just on our way out.” My nerves melt away as he laces our fingers together and I shoot a look over my shoulder at my annoying little sister. She grins back at me.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
Lucas laughs as we step out onto the porch. “Why do I get the feeling there isn’t much she wouldn’t do?”
“She’s full of it since I practically had to force her out of the house on the Fourth.”
“Ah, I see,” he muses. “So she’s just messing with you?”
I shrug. “I think she was trying to make me think about something other than how nervous I am.”
He stops next to his truck and pulls me into his arms again with a scowl. “I’m making you nervous?”
“Not you, really… It’s just that… Well, do you remember when I told you I knew a thing or two about dark and complicated?”