“Who?”
Joey took his eyes off the road and looked at me, making me feel like a middle schooler who’d just forgotten to hand in my assignment.
“Oh. Chase,” I managed. “Yeah. So yeah. He’s the guy. The lucky dude,” I finished lamely, looking out the window. “Hey, can we roll these down?” I asked reaching for the window crank.
“I don’t like it.”
“What? The windows open?” I asked knowing full well that wasn’t what he meant.
“No. Him as the guy.”
“I don’t care.”
“He’s a player.”
I shrugged. “Probably.”
“He was drinking last night.”
“Aaaand?” I snorted.
“So did you have any?”
“Oh my God. Are you serious right now?”
“Yes. I think he was trying to get you drunk so he could sleep with you.”
I choked out a laugh. “On one sip of whiskey? Yeah. Right.”
“There could have been something in it.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Joseph.”
“What? Don’t be mad at me just for caring about you. You’re like a little sister to me. I’d say the same thing to Keri Ann.”
My heart thudded heavily. “Well, I’m not. Your sister I mean. So quit it.”
“Anyway, why do you want to give your virginity to some frat boy player?”
“As opposed to?”
“Dammit, Jazz.” He growled, changing lanes as we crossed the bridge over the Broad River Estuary toward Beaufort. “I’m just trying to stop you from making a mistake.”
I chewed my lip. I felt faintly nauseous. Here I was coming to terms with a massive crush, and he was still lecturing me like I was his baby sister. “Too late,” I muttered. I’d managed to inadvertently make the biggest mistake possible. Developing feelings for my best friend’s brother.
“What is?”
Taking a breath, I looked over at him. “I did it already.” But obviously he thought I was talking about sleeping with Chase.
It felt like the transmission in the truck slipped, but I realized Joey had pressed down on the clutch momentarily.
Why did I just lie to him? Could he tell?
His hand went back to the gear stick, then he let go and flexed his fingers. Then he put his hand back on the wheel, then back on the gear stick. Movement of his throat swallowing caught my eye. He stared straight ahead. What was he thinking right now? God, why did I just say I’d slept with Chase?
“Hmmm,” he said finally. “And you’re … okay?”
“Yep.”
“And you’re not in love with him?”
He was referring to his ridiculous theory that I would fall madly in love with the first guy I slept with.
“Nope,” I sang, forcing levity to my tone.
“I usually hate to be wrong, but in this case I’m glad,” he said. “We’re here.”
Pulling into the parking lot, he found a spot. As soon as he killed the engine, he jumped out the car and slammed the door. Was I imagining he’d slammed it harder than usual?
JOEY CAME AROUND to my side of the truck outside the YMCA. “So how’s your ankle?”
“I took painkillers, but I can feel it still.”
“We could have rescheduled this. You should be keeping it elevated.”
Before I realized what he was doing, he’d scooped me up effortlessly from the truck seat, his arms around my back and under my knees.
I yelped in surprise. “Don’t you dare friggin’ drop me, Joseph.”
“Ye of little faith. Just hold on,” he said and kicked the door shut behind me.
“Of course I’m freaking holding on. If your arms give out, I plan on hanging from your neck.”
The scent of his warm skin and traces of laundry detergent invaded my senses, and I didn’t like the way my instinct was to breathe deeper. I held my breath and clung to him as he shifted and gathered me up against his hard body.
“Ahh. So there’s a chivalrous side to Joseph Butler,” I said.
His chest vibrated as he chuckled, maneuvering across the parking lot and toward the entrance of the YMCA.
He grunted as he reached the door. “And you’re not exactly light as a feather.”
“Joseph!”
Joey chuckled. “I’m kidding. Sort of.”
Luckily someone exited just as we strode up—an older guy in workout gear, his eyebrows raised in surprised amusement and held the door open for us.
“I’ll have to carry you all the way to your class.”
“Good.” I looked up at him innocently, “coz … Oh, Joooooeeeey, I forgot I had to visit the little girls’ room? Would you mind?”
He scowled at my sing-song tone and studied my expression for a second, then rolled his eyes. “Seriously?”
I really did need to go, but his suspicion was priceless. I stretched my mouth into a wide smile and nodded. “Seriously.”
“Fine.” He huffed and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t get to work out yet today anyway. Come on.”
I pointed out the signs for the bathroom as he strode past the check in desk and the amused expressions on the staff members’ faces.
“I’m not going in there with you.” Joey huffed. “Just so we’re clear.”
“Oh,” I said, disappointment lacing my tone. “I thought—”