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what I was going to say.
    “I’m not a child, Riley.”
    “Exactly. You’re a very attractive young woman.”
    My lashes fluttered away his exaggeration.
    He angled his head. “Are you forgetting Jack Peters?”
    Wished I could. His slimy hands had burned flesh memories into the tops of my thighs that day in the parking lot.
    Riley took my hand, voice softening. “I’m not saying you need a babysitter. I just need you to promise me you’ll be careful while I’m gone.” He lowered his face beneath mine. “Please.”
    I swallowed the response I wanted to give. It wasn’t worth fighting over. Not when we were nearing the end of another day.
    He lifted my chin. “Would a peace offering help?”
    With one look, his eyes drained every bit of fight from me.
    He set an MP3 player in my hand and folded his fingers over mine. “A little music to listen to while I’m away.”
    I flaunted a replica of his usual grin. “You mean I won’t have to wait to buy the album online?”
    He scratched his cheek with his key. “That sounds weird, doesn’t it?”
    “Not to me. I always knew you would do it.”
    His brow furrowed.
    Did he still doubt himself? “What?”
    “It doesn’t seem right. You not being there with me. None of this would be happening if it weren’t for you.”
    “There you go, giving me too much credit again.” I inched closer. “You’ll just have to relay every detail, play-by-play, over the phone.”
    He grinned, already two steps ahead of me. “As long as you get on Instagram every day.”
    I brandished the lawyer-look we always teased each other with. “On one condition.”
    He dished it right back. “Which is?”
    “You have to promise to test out your new music with me before you record it.”
    Leaning against the car, Riley cocked his head to the side and squinted. “Deal. But only if you promise to give me an honest critique.”
    “Always.” Would listening to his music over the phone change the way it sounded?
    He toyed with his keys, sobering. “I’m gonna leave my car for you to drive.”
    I scooted backward. “Riley, I—”
    “I’m not taking it all the way out to Nashville.” He pushed off the fender and straightened out his shorts. “If you have a car, I won’t feel like I’m abandoning you as much. And at least you’ll be able to get around without needing A. J.’s eager assistance.”
    Seriously? “Okay, first of all, you’re not abandoning me. And second of all, I doubt you need to worry about A. J. Trust me. He isn’t eager to give me a ride.” Or to be near me at all. His guarded eyes from the morning had made that clear enough. “It’s like it pains him to look at me or something.”
    Riley drew me to him, my face inches below his. “Because he’s trying not to feel anything for you. I’ve been there, remember? Not an easy task. It’d pain me to look at you too if I knew you’d given your heart to someone else.”
    A. J. was probably doing what he felt he needed to. I just hated that it had to be this way.
    Riley shook his head. “I should probably cut the guy some slack for hanging out with us still. I wouldn’t have been nearly as noble.”
    I lifted my hand to his neck. “Good thing you’ll never have to find out.”
    “Promise?”
    I let my eyes eliminate any doubt. Riley was, and always would be, the sole possessor of my heart. Did he honestly question that? Is that why he’d kissed me the way he had when he picked me up today?
    Tucking my shoulder under his, I faced the sky and clung to the only thing I wanted to think about. “Can we stay right here?”
    He clicked his key fob. “I have a better idea.”

chapter six
    Unraveled
    I don’t know what time Riley walked me home from the sports field last night. Only that it was too soon. I wasn’t ready for today.
    Even my muscles seemed to be hunkered down in some kind of defense mode. Thirty minutes on the elliptical hadn’t broken through the stiffness I woke up with this morning.
    I