Free Silver Lake by Kathryn Knight

you.”
    “I’m not a good person,” she said, shaking her head to dislodge the images from last night’s fiasco.
    “Yes, you are,” he said firmly, squeezing her hands. “And I am having so much fun with you guys.”
    “Does that mean you’ll come back?” she asked carefully.
    “Yes, I’ll come back. I think I’ll even stay an extra day and leave tomorrow. The world won’t end if I take a few more hours off from work.”
    “Oh, that’s great, A.J. Really. We all need to be here as much as possible.”
    He released her hands and scratched at his dark vacation stubble. “I can’t get on board with the whole ghost thing, though. Brandy is gone. We need to accept that and move on.”
    Rain pressed her lips together. Please let it go, Brandy, she pleaded.
    No such luck. The crash echoed from her bedroom as A.J. was pushing his chair back. “What was that?” he asked.
    She recognized the sound immediately and pictured her photo album, lying open on the floor. Her tired brain scrambled to come up with something less creepy. “Oh, that happened before,” she explained as she stalled for time. “I keep leaving my hairdryer on the edge of the dresser, and it eventually topples over. I’ll be lucky if it still works.”
    “Oh. Well, I have some more work to get done if I’m going to take another day off. I’ll be out on the porch.”
    “Okay,” Rain said weakly. She contemplated going back to bed.
    ****
    Rain managed to avoid being alone with Jason until he found her outside under the afternoon sun, trying to focus on her novel. He grabbed a beach chair that had fallen over and set it down right next to hers. She gave him a quick smile and tried to pretend she was too involved in her book to talk. In truth, she was berating herself once again for her pathetic performance the night before.
    She had decided she couldn’t blame her behavior entirely on Allie, because there was no question that she was attracted to Jason. And she had thought that maybe he was attracted to her. He hadn’t exactly said he wasn’t, but he did make it clear that he didn’t appreciate her advances. God, she was embarrassed. But she had been reminding herself all day that this reunion summer was not about her love life, it was about Brandy and friendship.
    He studied the lake for a while, and he looked almost as miserable as she felt. Whether it was because he felt sympathy or disgust she couldn’t be sure. So she continued to ignore him until he reached out and tugged on one of the braids that hung down from beneath her hat. “Hey,” he said.
    “Hey, yourself.” Clever, she thought to herself, keeping her gaze on her book. Now he will probably explain how he feels violated and needs to leave immediately.
    “Rain, will you please talk to me? I don’t want things to be uncomfortable between us. Please don’t think I’m not attracted to you, because I am, I always have been. It’s just that we’re both going through some stuff right now. I don’t know where my relationship with Cara is going. You’ve been betrayed by the guy you were with for seven years.”
    She nodded disconsolately. When he put it that way, she sounded like an even bigger loser. Seven years she had been with that jerk. Tears pressed against the backs of her eyes and she fought to contain them. Why did she have to cry so damn much lately?
    Jason leaned sideways as though to put his arm around her, but then gave her a quick squeeze on her bare shoulder instead as she stiffened. “All I’m trying to say, Rainy, is that we need to be careful. We shouldn’t do anything for the wrong reasons.”
    Be strong, she told herself. “You’re right. And I want to apologize again for last night. I was feeling lonely and scared.” Not to mention drunk and horny, she admitted silently.
    “Please don’t apologize. I care about you so much, and I want to be here for you.” He paused and reached for her hand. “So, are we okay?”
    “Yes, of course. Did A.J.