Page 185 of Jordyn's Army

“What?” I gasp. “Why?”

When he looks down, I realize I’ve grabbed his hand from across the table. When I attempt to pull it back, he holds it a little tighter as he looks up at me.

“Just became real a week ago. I wanna surprise them. Tell them in person.”

He looks back down at our hands, dragging his thumb across the back of my hand. “Let’s cut the small talk and discuss what’s happening here.”

I pull my hand back and clear my throat. “It’s obvious that neither of us had a clue as to who each other were, so let’s just forget—”

“Not a chance,” he deadpans.

“I won’t hold it against—”

“I wish you would.”

“Oh my God, Ben, really?” I force a laugh, make a joke out of it, in attempt to make it less awkward.

“Something happened up there. You know it, and so do I.”

As sobriety comes calling, I set my feet on the floor. Confidence follows suit. “I got swept up in the music. So did you.”

“Bullshit, Ross.”

“Dismiss it all you want, but it’s what happened.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not ready to do that without exploring it further.”

“I’m not like …” I stop, because what I want to say would sound judgmental and disrespectful to my sister, which is not truly how I feel.

“You do realize that the thing that went on with me and Tessa was brief.”

I shake my head. “You loved her all the way from her senior year in high school through all of college.”

He literally laughs out loud.

“Ben,” I shush him as I look around. The whole place is looking at us. Well, him.

“Little Ross”—he grabs my hand and leans nearly all the way across the table—“with age and experience comes wisdom and knowledge.”

I again attempt to pull my hand back, but he holds it a little tighter.

“Wanna know a secret?”

“Not really,” I grumble as I look around at the curious faces in the crowded café.

“I never loved her in that way. I hated Lucas for breaking the heart of the girl whose finger I pulled a thorn out of when I was too young to remember doing so.” He laughs, and I freeze. “A girl who gave me my very first kiss. Stupid shit, but there it is. See, Kendall”—he releases my hand, and I continue staring at the crowd—“it’s not only little girls who buy into fairy tales. Sometimes guys fall for the bullshit, too.”

; 4

Ben

Wild Honey

When she stands abruptly, knocking over her chair in the process, I start to stand as well. Then she jets out the door.

“Well, fuck.” I run my hand through my hair then do some stupid shit, shit I’ve never done with a girl.