Page 23 of Chasing Home
“Please. I’d never go on a date with Darren,” Bryce balks.
He whips his head to look at her, eyes tightened at the corners. “Do you have to sound so disgusted at the idea?”
“As if you’re not equally as disgusted.”
“I am. But at least I’m not making it obvious.”
“People are going to think you’re into each other for real with how much you bicker,” I say, my first beer pressed against my lips.
Bryce finishes off her drink before saying, “Maybe. But only those who don’t know that I’m not currently in the market for a man.”
Intrigued, I set my beer down and lean closer to her, folding my arms on the table. “Oh, do tell, Brycie.”
“No.”
Darren chokes on a laugh. “Brutal.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘bully,’” I correct him.
“I’m not a bully. You’re just snoopy,” Bryce counters.
I wave her off and settle back in the booth. “God forbid I want to know about your love life.”
“If I wanted you to know anything, you already would, Johnny.”
“Does Darren know?” I ask before snapping my gaze to him. “Do you?”
He smirks, shoulder lifting. “Maybe.”
“He doesn’t,” Bryce says, giving Darren a rough shove. “Because there’s nothing to know other than I’m not interested in Darren. Got it?”
I hold my hands up in surrender. “I’ve got it, sunshine.”
She smiles at the pet name. “I’m going to get another drink. Let me up, you oaf.”
“A please goes a long way,” Darren mutters but lets her out of the booth without a fight.
“You’re not my daddy.”
As she walks away from the table, Darren places his hands around his mouth and yells, “I could be!”
Bryce flips him off over her shoulder before disappearing from view. I wait for Darren to settle back down before saying, “You look happier today.”
“It was a good day.”
“I’m glad. You’ve been through enough these past few weeks.”
“Abbie’s with me this week while Sasha’s out of town, and I’m just happy to be with her. She’s started wanting to make these adorable beaded bracelets, so I went and ordered three hundred dollars’ worth of materials for her,” he says, his voice light and more animated than I’ve heard it in a long damn time.
Shoving the sleeve of his shirt up his forearm, he shows off the stack of beaded bracelets on his wrist. All four of them have big, thick knots in the clear elastic and hot pink and purple beads with a few smaller gold stars and white block letters throughout. One says DADDY, and another says LUV U, while the other two have their initials.
“Those are cute, Darren.”
He beams. “Aren’t they? She’s only five and already so good at making them. Maybe she’ll be a jewelry designer one day.”
“I’d buy from her.”
“Everyone would.”