Rewind It Back (Windy City, #5)(44)

She rolls her eyes. “Yes, Luke.”

“Or anyone in my class,” he continues. “And especially not any of my friends.”

“Mm-hmm,” she mumbles. “So you’ve said. Plenty of times.”

“I’m serious, Hallie. Guys my age are only after one thing, and I’m sure as hell not letting any of my friends near you when I know what’s on their mind.”

I’m not after only one thing from Hallie. I’m after everything with her, but still, it feels like he’s reminding me to not go there, though Luke has no idea of my feelings for his sister.

“Speaking of guys your age being after only one thing,” she says, head cocked. “Aren’t you late for your study session with Lacey?”

Luke smiles knowingly. “Yes, I am. Happy birthday, sis.” He gives Hallie a hug before turning to me. “Thanks for giving her a ride. I owe you one.”

“Happy to.”

Understatement of the year.



“Pick a song for the drive?” I ask Hallie as she sits on the passenger side of my truck.

She’s wearing this excited smile before digging into the glove compartment where I’ve stashed a combination of tapes and CDs. The best part about this old truck is that it still has a cassette player that works.

“What do you have in here?” she asks.

“You’d know better than me. You’re always leaving your music in there.”

The truth is, I have no idea what’s in my glove box because the only thing I listen to when I’m driving alone are Hallie’s birthday mixtapes. But I was smart enough to hide those before she got in my car. She gave me one on her fourteenth birthday last year and remade the two from her previous birthdays, the ones she had made before she started sharing them with me. And tonight, I’ll get a new one.

A few months after Hallie got that boombox for her thirteenth birthday, I asked for the same for mine, simply so I could listen to her yearly mixtapes in my room. And now, they play on repeat in the truck. Because yes, I have a huge freaking crush on the girl and want to know about all the songs that represent important moments in her life.

“Oh, I’ve been looking for this!” she says before clicking a tape into the cassette deck.

I groan as soon as the harmonized voices start playing through the speakers. “I thought I tossed that.”

Hallie squirms excitedly in her seat as the music begins to play.

“Hal, I really need you to move on from your boy band phase. It has me questioning your taste.”

She relaxes in her seat, resting back on the headrest with a smile.

It makes me smile too.

I continue to drive, keeping my speed right at the designated speed limit. I promised her dad I’d take care of her and the last thing I want to do is get a ticket while Hallie is in the car and never be allowed to drive her alone again.

“Luke is so annoying about me not talking to his friends,” she says out of nowhere.

I quickly glance her way, trying to get a read on who or what she’s referring to before refocusing on the road. “Why do you say that?”

“I don’t know. I’m fifteen and he’s only a year older than me. It wouldn’t be all that crazy if I were interested in one of his friends.”

Wait . . . what does that mean? Me? Or someone else?

Thumbs tapping the steering wheel, I swallow down my nerves. “Are you referring to that guy Dylan?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Do you like one of Luke’s friends or something?”

Hallie’s voice is quiet. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

I reach out to turn the music down because it’s too loud in this cab when all I want is to hear her say “yes.” That yes, she does like one of her brother’s friends. That the friend she’s referring to is me.

My long sleeve falls down my forearm as I adjust the volume and before I know what’s happening, Hallie’s fingers reach out, lightly tracing the friendship bracelet on my wrist.

“I can’t believe you still wear this, and I can’t believe it hasn’t fallen off.”

I drop my arm onto the bench seat between us, letting her continue to run her fingertips over the softened threads.

The music is quiet now, so the only thing I can hear is my pounding heart, thumping in my ears.

I keep driving with my left hand with my eyes on the road, leaving my right hand to rest on the seat between us.

Hallie’s touch has become more languid, running over the old bracelet she made me until her fingertips take a different path, moving up and gently running over the back of my hand instead.

I can’t fucking breathe.

She’s tentative with her touch, as if she’s not sure if I’m going to stop her, delicately exploring the back of my hand, until finally, she slips her fingers to glide against my palm.

Without overthinking it, I open my hand and intertwine my fingers with hers. She stills for a moment, before curling her fingers around mine, putting us palm to palm.

I’m too distracted, too focused on what’s happening between us to concentrate on driving. Thankfully, we’re on a backroad and not the interstate, so I pull my truck off to the side of the road, coming to a full stop. But I don’t put it in park because that would require the use of my right hand and it’s currently occupied.