me. I guess I caught something.” I cringe and I try to fake sick, and as far as I can tell, it’s working.
“Oh ok. Well… I ordered you food, so I’ll have them box it up and bring it to you.” He smiles and I shake my head.
“No, you really should stay away. I uh… I don’t want to make you sick.”
“Oh… Ok.” Then he returns to looking at the menu like he’s trying to memorize it.
That’s it. We sit here in awkward silence for the next half hour until Lane comes into the restaurant, turning all the women’s heads in the room.
Great.
“Baby, what the hell?” he pulls me up and wraps his arms around me.
Baby?
“I thought this was your brother?” Steve says, standing while he eyes Lane suspiciously.
“Step-Brother,” Lane says, then he winks at Steve before twisting his fingers in mine, eliciting a feeling I’d rather not have for him. He then leans in and kisses me gently before pulling away. Holy Shit. Then he winks at me! What the hell!?
“I uh… thanks Steve. I have to go,” I mumble, pulling Lane out of the restaurant. Once we finally make it to his Porsche I turn and glare at him, ready to slap him until I see the smirk on his face.
“What the… why would you… I… AAGH!” I’m so flustered right now that about 80% of me wants to jump him in this parking lot and beg him to take me while the other 20% wants to scream at him for making a scene back there.
He’s Lane Sheridan! He can’t do stuff like that without consequences!
“Chill, Alexis,” he whispers then laughs at me. His hands stroke down my arms and he smiles his best friend smile that I’ve seen hundreds of times over the years. The smile that tells me he’d do anything for me.
Well. Almost anything.
“Lane, someone could have gotten that on camera. TMZ is going to have a hayday with that!”
“Let them. They need to make money somehow. We know the truth, and that’s all that matters.” He winks at me and opens the door to let me in. I see something in his eyes tonight that hasn’t ever been there before though. Something sad, and it worries me.
He lets me into the pristine car and I sigh as the leather wraps around me, hugging me in all the right spots. God… one day I’ll be able to own a car like this myself. One day. For now though, I’m doing something I love with my best friend. Sure, my apartment isn’t nearly as nice as his, and my clothes aren’t name brand, but I’m able to live downtown L.A., with no worries about bills or student loans thanks to Lane, so I can’t really complain.
“Did you eat?” He glances over at me, hands tight on the steering wheel. Something’s on his mind. The entire time I’ve known Lane he’s been open with me about everything but this is different. He’s hiding something from me.
“No,” I whisper, staring out my window, watching the city fly by. I want to reach over and take his hand to calm him but I don’t. Earlier today when he was in so much pain in the car and I crawled over to him… that was the most intimate we’ve ever been. Sure we touch all the time, but not like that. That was raw, and the look in his eyes when he practically pushed me off of him hurt. Bad.
Without saying anything, he whips the car into the parking lot of a small hole-in-the-wall diner and grins at me as he opens his door.
“What? We’re both hangry. Let’s go.” I raise my eyebrows at him and he laughs. “Al, it’s late, were both in a bad mood and hungry. Hangry. So… let’s get food before people realize I’m here and get out of here before the crowd.” His eyes are begging me not to put up a fight, and I am really freaking hungry.
“Fine. But you’re buying.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” He grins and helps me out of the car.
Inside the diner, it’s dark and full of smoke. Literally, there’s a haze in the air from all of the smoke in the air. The coughing fit my first deep breath sends me into is enough to have Lane rolling in
“Oh ok. Well… I ordered you food, so I’ll have them box it up and bring it to you.” He smiles and I shake my head.
“No, you really should stay away. I uh… I don’t want to make you sick.”
“Oh… Ok.” Then he returns to looking at the menu like he’s trying to memorize it.
That’s it. We sit here in awkward silence for the next half hour until Lane comes into the restaurant, turning all the women’s heads in the room.
Great.
“Baby, what the hell?” he pulls me up and wraps his arms around me.
Baby?
“I thought this was your brother?” Steve says, standing while he eyes Lane suspiciously.
“Step-Brother,” Lane says, then he winks at Steve before twisting his fingers in mine, eliciting a feeling I’d rather not have for him. He then leans in and kisses me gently before pulling away. Holy Shit. Then he winks at me! What the hell!?
“I uh… thanks Steve. I have to go,” I mumble, pulling Lane out of the restaurant. Once we finally make it to his Porsche I turn and glare at him, ready to slap him until I see the smirk on his face.
“What the… why would you… I… AAGH!” I’m so flustered right now that about 80% of me wants to jump him in this parking lot and beg him to take me while the other 20% wants to scream at him for making a scene back there.
He’s Lane Sheridan! He can’t do stuff like that without consequences!
“Chill, Alexis,” he whispers then laughs at me. His hands stroke down my arms and he smiles his best friend smile that I’ve seen hundreds of times over the years. The smile that tells me he’d do anything for me.
Well. Almost anything.
“Lane, someone could have gotten that on camera. TMZ is going to have a hayday with that!”
“Let them. They need to make money somehow. We know the truth, and that’s all that matters.” He winks at me and opens the door to let me in. I see something in his eyes tonight that hasn’t ever been there before though. Something sad, and it worries me.
He lets me into the pristine car and I sigh as the leather wraps around me, hugging me in all the right spots. God… one day I’ll be able to own a car like this myself. One day. For now though, I’m doing something I love with my best friend. Sure, my apartment isn’t nearly as nice as his, and my clothes aren’t name brand, but I’m able to live downtown L.A., with no worries about bills or student loans thanks to Lane, so I can’t really complain.
“Did you eat?” He glances over at me, hands tight on the steering wheel. Something’s on his mind. The entire time I’ve known Lane he’s been open with me about everything but this is different. He’s hiding something from me.
“No,” I whisper, staring out my window, watching the city fly by. I want to reach over and take his hand to calm him but I don’t. Earlier today when he was in so much pain in the car and I crawled over to him… that was the most intimate we’ve ever been. Sure we touch all the time, but not like that. That was raw, and the look in his eyes when he practically pushed me off of him hurt. Bad.
Without saying anything, he whips the car into the parking lot of a small hole-in-the-wall diner and grins at me as he opens his door.
“What? We’re both hangry. Let’s go.” I raise my eyebrows at him and he laughs. “Al, it’s late, were both in a bad mood and hungry. Hangry. So… let’s get food before people realize I’m here and get out of here before the crowd.” His eyes are begging me not to put up a fight, and I am really freaking hungry.
“Fine. But you’re buying.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” He grins and helps me out of the car.
Inside the diner, it’s dark and full of smoke. Literally, there’s a haze in the air from all of the smoke in the air. The coughing fit my first deep breath sends me into is enough to have Lane rolling in
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