Emily leaned against the door frame of Elizabeth’s room, watched her carefully apply mascara, then blink to let her eyes adjust. “You know, I’m not even going to ask about it today.”

“Uh huh.” Elizabeth glanced down at her collection of lipstick, considered which color to wear tonight. She looked back at the long mirror fastened to the open closet door, and smoothed down the sides of the hot pink tube tube, and checked it from the back to be sure it hadn’t slid up there either. “I don’t want to match to the shirt, but you know, my regular red doesn’t seem right either.”

“Because I’ve decided,” Emily continued, ignoring her friend, “that Jason coming to breakfast yesterday while you were working, and not even blinking when Juan joined us plus hooking us up with these amazing tickets for the club tonight is a sign that whatever happened that night was a good thing.”

“You know, either one of us could have just asked Luke to tickets tonight.” Elizabeth decided to go with a bubble gum pink. “It’s not like Jason is our only source.”

“Yeah, but we didn’t have to. Jason came to you—”

“Us—”

“Handed the tickets to you because he knew you liked her. My brother has never, in his entire life, heard of Pink.” Emily made a face. “How did Luke even get her?”

“I have stopped asking how Luke knows people, especially after I found out B.B. King opened the club. I mean, seriously — the man saved the world, right?” Elizabeth flicked through her tiny jewelry collection, then decided to go without anything. She looked at her sister. “I probably mentioned what I was listening to once and Jason remembered. It’s not that deep—”

“Okay, but he remembered and now we’re going to this party tonight with one of the hottest artists in the country because my brother knows you like her. Not me. You.” Emily lifted her brows. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what happened the night you talked?”

“I did tell you.” Elizabeth stepped into her black platform wedge sandals. “These things are magical. I go from barely visible to normal height in five seconds. I hope they never go out of style.”

“Can you focus on something other than how you look for five seconds—” Emily furrowed her brow. “Are you dressing up for my brother? Are you sure you’re not dating?”

“I don’t even know if Jason’s going tonight,” Elizabeth said. “He didn’t know either, remember?” She sighed, looked at her best friend. “I told you. We understand each other now, and it’s all okay.”

“No, no—” Emily followed her down the hall and into the living space of the pool house, still littered with a few boxes Elizabeth hadn’t unpacked yet. “No. A week ago, you were all mopey and he barely left the garage. Now I’ve seen him out in the wild, and you’re all fine and even happy. But you’re not dating. This does not add up, Elizabeth Imogene, and we’re going to fight—”

Elizabeth turned to face Emily. “I promise I’m not trying to be coy or whatever, it’s just—I don’t know how to describe it without going into details, and they’re just for us. You know? Like, okay, I’ll tell you it was a very intense conversation and we put pretty much everything out there. I know he stands, and he knows where I’m at, and we’re both mostly okay with it.”

“Mostly? Come on—”

“I think—” Elizabeth paused at the door, fiddling with the latch on her clutch. “Okay, I’m pretty sure we’re both a little sad about it, but I also understand it. I do,” she insisted when her best friend just rolled her eyes. “You can be sad and be at peace with something at the same time, okay?”

“I guess. And Jason did get you those tickets—”

“Us.  He gave us four—”

“Handed them to you,” Emily repeated. “Breakfast was for me, but this was for you. And that gives me a little hope that wherever things are, that you’re right, that they’re better. I just—come on, just tell me one itty bitty thing so I can feel better—”

Elizabeth pulled the door open, looked back at Emily, arched her brow. “Okay. Your brother has great hands.”

Emily’s jaw dropped. “You bitch. That doesn’t make me feel better because ew—”

“Keep pushing, Em, and I’ll tell you where his hands were—”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up—I’m going to have nightmares.”

—

Across town, at Luke’s, where the club was already crowded and the music was already too loud, Jason nursed a beer and wondered where his sanity had gone. A question that Sonny had also asked when he volunteered to go to the club that night instead of sending someone else who, you know, liked people.

“You hate all of this,” Sonny had said with confusion. “Are you sick? Are you dying?”

“Just shut up or I’ll make you go,” Jason said, and that had been the end of it. They’d agreed that someone needed to be there every night in case Moreno tried something. Luke’s was on the border of the territories and was usually the target whenever the idiot wanted to show off.

But Jason had picked this night because he knew Elizabeth and Emily would be there. And he’d given Elizabeth the tickets the morning he’d gone to breakfast with Emily because he was trying to…do something. Be less alone, less isolated, he thought. He’d already been out more in the last week than he had in months. And it was better, he had to admit to himself. It filled the time more, and he’d forgotten that as little as he liked people, he didn’t mind watching them. As long as they left him alone.

He saw Elizabeth first as she edged around someone. She turned and laughed to someone behind her—Emily, he realized a moment later. But it was Elizabeth he was looking at, wearing some stretchy pink thing that wrapped around her and a pair of tight black pants that stopped halfway down her calf. Her hair was arranged in curls that bounced more when she walked, and she was still smiling — a real one. They found their table, and sat down, joined a few minutes later by Nikolas and Juan.

Elizabeth looked around the club, towards the bar, and their eyes met. She grinned at him, waved slightly, but then turned back to the others, and he exhaled slowly. It was a good thing she was out of arm’s reach, he thought, and lifted his beer for another drink.

A few minutes later, the lights dimmed and the crowd got quieter. Lights flashed on the stage and a woman strode out, her short hair dyed a shocking color pink. She reached for the microphone, and music started.

Please don’t come around talking bout that you love me
‘Cause that love sh— just ain’t for me

—

Towards the end of the night, Elizabeth headed for the restroom, hoping to get back before the last set started. When she exited, tossing out the towel she’d used to dry her hands so she wasn’t looking right in front of her, she walked straight into a broad chest.

“Oof, sorry—” Elizabeth’s hands went up, and she grinned when she saw it was Jason who had automatically put his hands at her hips to steady her. He released her like she was on fire and backed up a step. “Hey. Trying to escape all the noise?”

“It’s not so bad,” Jason said. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “But yeah, Luke and I were in the back. I had to leave when he pulled out the cigar.”

“Oh, right? It’s awful. I love him, but he needs to quit. Nasty.” She leaned a shoulder against the wall. “Well, I know this is your idea of hell, but I’m having the best time. Thank you. Really.”

“I mean, I know you could have gotten tickets on your own,” Jason said, a bit hesitantly. “But I didn’t know—this was a private party, and he doesn’t always advertise those. I remember—” He touched the edge of his eyebrow with his index finger. “You said you liked her.”

“Yeah, almost three months ago on the island—” She tipped her head to the side. “And she only had the one song out. I can’t believe you remembered.”

“I told you—” Their eyes met, and her breath caught slightly. “I like to listen to you talk.”

Behind them, back in the main area of the club, the music started, a slower, more sultry beat.

I ain’t looking for a steady thing

“I mean, I know you said, um, said that, but I guess—” She licked her lips, and his eyes dropped to her mouth. “I didn’t realize you, like, actually listened. I thought you just liked the…” Heat rose in her cheeks and she had to look away. “I don’t know.”

I ain’t looking for what love brings

“What did you think I meant?”

‘Cause I’m still young and I ain’t ready, babe

“That you liked the way I sounded, maybe. You know, like you could tune me out. That’s what most people do.” She didn’t know what to do with her hands, and suddenly understood what he meant about needing to keep distance.

I’m still looking for some better days

“Well, I’m not most people.” He hesitated, his hand raised between them, and then he gently brushed a curl behind her ear. “We should go back out there.”

I don’t wanna give you everything
I just wanna make you feel things

“Yeah, probably. But, um, I’m okay right here,” Elizabeth said. She leaned into the caress of his fingers when he pulled back from touching her hair. “Am I allowed to say that?”

You ain’t gotta give me everything
Just throw it away, hey

“You can say whatever you want.”

“Maybe. But I can’t really do what I want, can I?” she murmured.

Don’t assume ’cause I’m a woman that I’ll fall in love

Don’t expect I’m young and need to be took care of

She regretted it as soon as the words were out of his mouth, and he sighed, looked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“It’s okay—”

Don’t assume ’cause I’m a woman that I’ll fall in love
Don’t expect I’m young and need to be took care of

“It’s not. I promised you we’d go back to being friends, and I’m—” She dipped her head down. “First chance I have, I’m pushing against that and I don’t want to—”

“I told you it wouldn’t be simple,” he murmured, and she looked back up at him. “Friends. It’s just not the right word, is it?”

You’ve gotta understand my side

I’ve had a crazy, crazy life

“No,” she breathed. “It’s not. But I don’t know if there’s a word for any of this. For you. For how I feel, or what you’ve done for me. I want to be what you need—”

“You don’t have to be anyone but yourself.”

Please believe me
I’ve been down this road and back again

“Okay. Then I want you to be you, too. And maybe this is who we are right now.” She stepped towards him just a little. “You said you wanted me to say whatever I wanted, so I will. But you have to promise me you’ll do the same. A-nd we’ll just go from there.”

“I—I can do that. I think,” he said.

Learned a lesson and it was that love is not your friend (not my friend)
The day I put my trust in you
Will be the day I say, “I do”

“Then, what I want to say is I need to get back out there before they send a search party, but that I like this. Talking to you. Just us.” With trembling fingers, she reached out to touch his chest for a moment. “But it doesn’t mean I expect anything.”

Don’t expect me just to open up
Maybe I’m just a little scared
Please, don’t tell me what you think

“You don’t?”

“Hope and expectations are very different things,” Elizabeth told him, “and I never promised you I wouldn’t hope.” She leaned up, brushed her lips against his cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

I wanna hear
Oh baby, save it
I’ve heard it all before
There ain’t nothing you could say, oh, to make me change my ways

And even though it took every ounce of her willpower, she turned away and went back to the club and her friends.

——

Jason waited until the club had nearly emptied out, sure that if anything was going to happen it would be when it was the crowdest and rowdy for maximum effect. But maybe Moreno was going to think twice with such a high profile act. When they reached the end of the performance, and the woman with the pink hair packed her things and disappeared back stage, Jason exhaled his first easy breath of the night. It was starting to clear out.

Elizabeth and the others had left a few minutes ago, and Jason waited until he could be almost sure they were gone. That little meeting with Elizabeth in the hallway had nearly been the end of him, and a couple more encounters like that, and he’d be toast.

He finished his second beer of the night, slid it over the counter to the bartender cleaning up. But maybe that wouldn’t be the worst thing, he thought, heading for the door. Elizabeth never did anything he expected, so maybe it would all turn out okay.

Jason exited the club just in time to see Nikolas climbing into his Jaguar—and to see the trio of his sister, Juan, and Elizabeth waiting with the parking attendant. “Oh. You’re still here.”

“Nikolas paid the guy to drive very slow,” Emily said with a roll of her eyes. “He’s very protective of his baby.”

“You’d be protective of that car, too,” Juan argued, stepping up as the next attendant returned with a car Jason didn’t recognize. “You just can’t appreciate a fine luxury car—”

“It drives, Juan, that’s all I have to appreciate.” But she smiled, leaned up to kiss her boyfriend. “Jase, thanks again for the tickets. This was so much fun. And I’m really glad you came.”

“Me, too,” Elizabeth said, looking at him for the first time. She folded her arms, smiled, then looked back at Emily. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Jason frowned, realizing she wasn’t moving towards the car, that only Emily and Juan were. Oh—he made a face. His sister wasn’t going home tonight. And Elizabeth was the last to leave—

“Don’t worry, I’m not taking the bus,” Elizabeth said when he opened his mouth. “Em and I came together, so I’ve got her car.” She nodded to the attendant who had her keys in his hand and headed across the parking lot. “Though the universe does like putting us together, so I’m a little sad I can’t talk you into a ride home on the bike.”

So was he, though there was a bit of relief mixed in with that. He wouldn’t survive another encounter with her right now with his determination intact. But even knowing that, he opened his mouth to suggest leaving Emily’s car here and taking her home anyway because he had zero common sense.

Bright headlights washed over Elizabeth’s face, and she squinted, looking in the direction. “What the—” She put an arm up to shield herself—

It was all happening in slow motion—the crunch of the wheels over the gravel parking lot, the window rolling down, the flash of a barrel of a gun—

And the sound of shots peppering the metallic side of the club as Jason dove forward, shoving Elizabeth to the ground, the hot, familiar pain of a bullet tearing into his skin as they landed.

 

---

Song is Stop Falling by P!nk

See you July 1!

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