“I’m sorry, I need to use the restroom.” I back away. “It was nice meeting you all.” With a little wave, I bolt out of there as fast as I can without it looking like I’m fleeing. I’m vaguely aware that Devin’s following me, but I keep going.
“Cass, hold up,” he calls.
I don’t stop.
“Cass!”
I turn on him, heart thundering. “What the hell was that?”
He balks. “What do you mean?”
“Why did you tell your friends I was in a coma?”
“I didn’t know it was a secret.”
“It’s not, but it might have been nice if you warned me. Now every time they see me, they’ll think of me as ‘that girl who was in a coma.’ Do you know what that’s like? Having the most traumatic experience of your life reduced to a topic of casual conversation?”
“No, I don’t,” he says quietly.
“And what was with the bragging? I didn’t even recognize you, the way you interrupted me, trying to impress your friends.”
“Cass, it was just talk.”
“Are you sure?” I scoff. “Look, I don’t know why you invited me, but I didn’t come here to be your arm candy. My résumé isn’t some tool you can use to impress your friends, and my medical history certainly isn’t a curiosity people can trot out for entertainment.”
His eyes blaze. “I invited you because I like you, and I wanted to introduce you to my dad and some of the other important people in my life. I bragged about you because you’re worth bragging about. Everyone should know what an incredible person you are.” Scrubbing the back of his neck, he lets out a noisy breath. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there.”
Folding my arms across my chest, I nod once.
“And I’m sorry for telling Mikey about your coma. I mentioned it in passing when I picked up the car from the dealership, but I should have known better. Mikey’s heart’s in the right place, but he has a big mouth.”
“It’s not just that,” I say quietly. “If you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly enjoy talking about my coma, or the accident. I’ve worked hard to move past it, and once people find out what happened, it’s all they see.”
Inhaling deeply, he closes the distance between us. He reaches out, slowly, deliberately, as though giving me the chance to back away. When I don’t, he runs a palm up and down my bare arm. My skin prickles under his touch. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” Sincerity swells behind his eyes.
After several long seconds, my muscles unfurl. “It’s okay. Apology accepted.”
Lips tilting into a grin, he gives me a lingering kiss. “What should we do now? Want to challenge Brie and Marcus to a game of cornhole?”
“Sure. But first, I really do need to use the restroom.” I wince.
“I’ll walk you—”
“No, it’s okay. Stay, hang out with your friends. I’ll find you when I get back.”
He nods. “There’s a bathroom in the concrete plant, on the side closest to the lake. The door should be unlocked.”
“Thanks. See you in a bit.” Hooking my fingers around the straps of my backpack, I walk in the direction of the two white towers looming in the near distance. I try not to replay the conversation with Devin’s friends in my head.
Or the way a stone settled in the pit of my stomach when he kissed me.
His apology was heartfelt and I do forgive him, but a tiny, nagging part of me wonders if it was enough.
I wind through the myriad partygoers, keeping a sharp eye out for Devin’s dad. I really don’t feel like talking to Mr. Bigshot Developer again, especially after the debacle with Devin and his buddies. I’ve had my fill of making nice with strangers for the night. Just as I pass the food table, a woman’s voice cuts through the music pumping from a set of nearby speakers. “Cass?”
I crane my neck, searching for the source of the voice, until I spot a woman wearing white shorts, a loose red T-shirt, and a familiar wide grin.
Recognition zings through me and my eyes bug out. “Val?” I splutter.
“Cass! It’s been forever!” The guy next to her, a lanky thirtysomething with a long, thin nose and a full head of chestnut hair, takes her plate, and she wraps me up in a bone-crushing hug. She’s a head shorter than me, and the tips of her tightly coiled black hair tickle my chin. “I heard about the accident. I’m so sorry. How are you doing?”