Page 52 of The Lucky One

Paul looked down at the table. “I want her in my life, Kiki. If being friends is the only way to get it, then that’s what I have to do.”

I waited for him to say more, but he just stared at my hand on his arm. I pulled away. “But why?”

Just then, a waiter came up to our table. “Welcome to Olive Garden,” she said. “I’m your waiter for today. What can I bring you?”

The interruption erased our conversation from Paul’s expression. “The lady would like a Caesar salad.” He gave me a polite smile. “So, what is it I want?”

I straightened. “Easy, fettucine Alfredo...” I scanned the toppings to choose from. “Plus mushrooms and broccoli so you don’t feel guilty because you’re working on getting your summer body.”

“Perfect.” And this time, he smiled with his eyes.

The rest of our date—dinner, I mean, we chatted about school, our parents, whatever had nothing to do with our exes. “Hannah and Brandon are hella good together, but I miss my bro,” Paul complained before taking the final bite of his pasta.

“They’re in the honeymoon stage,” I said. “It’ll pass as soon as they have their first fight.”

“Ouch. You want them to fight?” Paul raised his brow.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” I squealed, throwing my napkin at him.

“I get it.” He smiled, chewing. “But I hope it’ll last a while.”

I nodded. “Would be nice to have a success in our generation of attachment fears.”

Paul swallowed, and I quickly looked away. He wasn’t like that at all... I mean, he was ready to do anything for Emily. If one of us was ready to be in a committed relationship, it was him.

“To be real,” Paul said, “I always thought you and Aiden would make a great couple.”

“No way!” I snorted. “He’s good-looking, yeah. But as a boyfriend—ehh. He’s way too goofy and too nice to other girls.”

“Oh, is someone a jealous person?” He winked teasingly.

“If someone gives me a reason to.” I took another bite of my almost-finished salad, laughing.

“Same here.”

We looked at each other in a moment of comfortable silence. For the first time in years, I felt like I really saw him. Not Jon’s best friend, Jamie’s boyfriend or the football captain of Boonville High. No, Paul himself. A boy who was kind, who loved with all he had, and who didn’t let his issues determine his entire personality.

He smiled, not taking his eyes away from mine. “You got a little dressing there.”

I reached for a napkin but his thumb was already on my face, carefully wiping a spot close to my lips. I froze as his gaze fell onto my mouth.

“Anything else I can bring you?” the waiter asked, and I jumped so hard, my knee knocked against the table. Paul flinched back into his chair. “I think we’re good, right?”

“Totally.” I nodded hysterically. The waiter strode off again. Paul’s eyes drifted everywhere in the room except for me.

“So, um...” he said. “This weekend, do you have any plans?”

I bit my lip. “Getting ahead of my studies.”

“I was thinking, I still have time to get my grades up. Maybe I can make it to college after all with you as my study partner.” He said it proudly but it stung my heart.

“Yeah, you definitely could.”

I picked at the rest of my salad, my appetite suddenly gone. I didn’t want to be just his study partner anymore.

Stage Fright

Emily