Rewind It Back (Windy City, #5)(45)

“What’s wrong?” Hallie asks.

With my foot firmly on the brake, I’m finally able to fully look in her direction. “I promised your dad I’d be careful driving you, and I’m too distracted to be careful.”

Her lips slightly part.

“Hal, Luke would kill me.”

Her eyes flick down to our intertwined hands, resting on the bench seat between us. I can feel her grip soften in mine, as if she were about to pull away, so I tighten my hand around hers to keep it there in mine.

“So maybe let’s not tell him,” I add.

A tick of a smile twitches at the corner of her lips.

There’s a moment where we just sit there, holding each other’s hand. It feels like there’s an evident shift happening before I gesture to the road ahead of us. “We’re almost to the Holmes’ house.”

“Okay,” she whispers. “I suppose you need your hand back then.”

We let go of each other, slowly separating, and when we do, I click her seat belt to unfasten it. She looks up at me, confused, until I put my hand back in hers and pull inward, subsequently pulling her across the bench to sit directly next to me instead of leaving the middle seat unoccupied.

“Fasten your seat belt, Hal.”

She’s biting back a smile when she uses her right hand to wrap the seat belt over her lap and click it into place. I place my left hand on the top of the wheel while resting our intertwined hands on Hallie’s leg. Then I drive the rest of the short distance as cautiously as possible and a few miles below the speed limit.

“Thanks for the ride,” she says as I park in front of the Holmes’ house.

“Anytime.”

She gives my palm one last squeeze before sliding across the bench seat and opening the passenger door. “Meet you on the roof tonight?”

I smile softly at her. “See you there.”



My mom falls onto the couch next to me as I’m finishing up my homework.

“You guys got home late,” I say with a raised brow. “It’s a school night, young lady.”

“Nice try. It’s Friday.” She drops her head back on the couch behind her. “You know how it is when we get together with the Harts. We have too good of a time. That restaurant was delicious. You’ll have to come with us next time. Then Steph found this adorable little wine bar, so we may have stopped in and split a bottle. Or two.”

“Glad you guys had fun.”

She pats my leg. “We missed you three. Did you get Hallie to her babysitting job okay?”

I refocus on my homework, nodding.

“You’re a good friend to her, Rio.”

“Yeah.”

“And to Luke.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“But have you told him that you’re in love with his sister?”

That earns my attention. “Ma!”

“What?” she asks behind a fit of laughter. “Well, it’s true.”

“No, it’s not. It’s not like that between me and Hallie.”

It doesn’t feel right to say, especially after that moment in my truck today. But my mom tells Hallie’s mom everything and the last thing I need is for Luke to find out I’m crushing on his little sister.

“Oh, Tesoro.” She exhales deeply to stop her laughter. “Yes, it is. I see the way you look at her. I’m just surprised Luke hasn’t noticed it yet.”

I’m focused on my homework again and my voice is less defensive when I say, “It’s not like that.”

“Okay. You’re right. My bad for thinking that it was.”

I cautiously look over at her to find her smiling at me knowingly.

“Luke would kill me,” I say.

She nods. “He’d be upset. You guys are at that age where he’d take it personally, but he’d get over it eventually.”

“And we’re so close with their family.”

“We are,” she agrees. “Steph is my best friend, and I love Hallie as if she were my own. But how is that a bad thing?”

“I don’t know. You probably aren’t aware of this, but Hallie and I are really close. Probably closer than me and Luke.”

“Oh, I know.” She waves me off dismissively. “Honey, when are you going to learn that I know everything?”

I roll my eyes. “What I’m trying to say is that I don’t know if Hallie really feels the same way I do and I don’t know that I’m ready to risk what we have to find out. Plus, I don’t think I’m ready to admit that to Luke yet.”

She nods in understanding. “I’m not saying you need to tell either of them about how you’re feeling, but if you ever want to talk to me about it, I’ll always be here to listen.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Ma.”

She ruffles my hair as she stands from the couch. “I’m headed to bed. Your dad is waiting for me so we can watch our show. Good night, honey.”

“Night.”

She’s halfway up the stairs when I stop her. “Hey, Ma?”

“Yeah?”

“Am I really that obvious, or are you just saying that?”

She cackles. Wildly. Like a woman who downed two bottles of wine with her husband and best friends. “Rio, if you had ‘I’m in love with Hallie Hart’ tattooed across your forehead, it might be a little more subtle.”