Page 266 of The Hopelessly Bromantic Duet

I steal the quickest glance in the history of stolen glances.

His cheeks are the slightest bit red. So is his neck. If I were a betting man, I’d bet he was aroused.

Just like me.

Except, I don’t know if I’ve gone too far. Or if he likes where I’m going.

All I know is he’s still quiet. Lips pressed together. Eyes lasered in on the road. Hands curled tight around the steering wheel.

His jaw ticks. Finally, he speaks. “Is your headache better?”

“A little,” I say. “My friend ibuprofen is starting to work his magic.”

“Good.” That one word comes out clipped.

And fuck me.

Maybe I should have stuck to the friendship script.

I rewind to the way we were. The dog pic. The movie. The banter. All the things we do.

“So,Clueless? Is that one of Echo’s favorite classic chick flicks?”

River takes a beat, like his brain is a train depot, and he’s the engineer. Pulling levers, rerouting, sending cars down another track. “I mean, Paul Rudd, am I right? Who can resist?” His voice comes out practiced, almost like a comic on stage delivering a line.

“Evidently not his fictional stepsister,” I say drily.

“C’mon. Alicia Silverstone was his former stepsister.”

“Ah, well, so much better. That makes it not taboo then.”

“It’s not taboo at all.”

“Just weird,” I say, egging him on, since this is easier.Cluelessover forest rain. Movies overwhat do you want from love.

“Take it back. Take it back right now. You can’t be aCluelesshater. I categorically do not accept you being aCluelesshater,” River says.

I laugh, since we’re back to quick retorts and snappy replies, though it all feels a little forced to me. Still, I go along with it, because of the damn forty-eight hours I have to get through.

“Because for you,Cluelessis gospel?” I ask.

“Cluelesseasily contains ten important life lessons.”

“Ten? You sure about that? Ten?”

He’s swift and certain. “Ten.”

I sweep my hand out. “The floor is yours. By all means, begin.”

“One. Cher has great friends. That’s key,” he says, then flashes me a grin that sure as shit feels like a reminder.

Is that the life lesson?Remember the pact, Owen. You and I are only friends.

But maybe this cigar is just a cigar. “I’ll give you that. Friends rock,” I say.

“Another lesson? Pay your parking tickets,” River says.

“Or better yet, have a friend with a car so he gets all the parking tickets,” I say, then bang my palms on the dashboard, bada-bing style.