Page 31 of That Summer
“Lucas, you should know me better than that. I don’t hide behind politeness.”
He laughed and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“But really, doesn’t she miss you or wonder where you are?”
“Do you think I should tell her the truth about what I’m doing?”
“Do you think that would bother her or do you think it would help smooth things out?”
“Meh.” He sat down. “She knows I haven’t run away and joined a circus.”
“Ah, but you have.” She laughed at her own comment. It certainly felt like she was part of a circus. A never-ending one at that.
His constant re-deflection of her questions and lack of answers irritated her. She knew better than to push. Surely Brenda and Lucas would see eye to eye. Eventually.
“I need to ask. Does it feel weird to be here when you could be at the track instead?”
Those grey-blues connected with hers. “Not really.” He shrugged. “Maybe a little. But I’m not racing this weekend, and it’s really hard to be around–”
Nate. Brenda. Marissa.
He didn’t need to finish the sentence, she knew. Those three possibilities held him back. A smidgen of doubt nagged at her. Was he telling the truth? Or feeding her a line? Could he not go and at least watch? Why did Dr. Navin plant that seed, and worse, why was she buying it? She cleared her throat and pushed the pancakes around her plate.
“Anyway, he doesn’t need me there tonight. With her hanging out in our space all the time, I’m a third wheel. And unless he’s having car issues, I’m dead weight.”
“But then you’re able to see how he’s doing?”
“There’s an app for that.” He grabbed his phone off the coffee table, and flipped it open, giving her a funny stare. “You should know there’s an app for everything.”
She glanced at his screen.
Lucas thumbed through the standings. “Later tonight, it’ll show his times and placings. I’ll show you.”
Aurora gave him a half-hearted shrug. “Okay.” But she wasn’t sure if she actually wanted to see. “What if… What if he gets in an accident?”
It had happened before. Nate had been in a full head-on collision, which became part of the reason she broke up with him. Although he was fine, she’d watched it play out in person. It terrified her thinking she’d lost Nate the same way she’d lost her momma and sister.
“Then nothing shows up for his lap time.”
“Oh.” Her voice fell.
A knife scraped across a plate and Lucas winced. “We can do something else. It’s not as exciting to watch a tiny screen as it is to watch it live.”
Says you.
She nodded.
“Anyway,” Lucas said after swallowing a bite of pancake. “I’d prefer to do the something else as I have this plan for tonight. Something different and fun. And unexpected.”
“Unexpected? Now my wheels are turning.”
“Good.”
She narrowed her eyes at him as a playful smile stretched across her face. “That’s it? No hints.”
“I’ve given you lots already.”
“Yeah, different, fun and unexpected. Not much to work with.” She studied the playful expression he displayed. “Is there a time I should be aware of?”