And even if my mom thought knowing Brock was now single would somehow send me down a path to heartbreak number five hundred, how could she or my father not say anything?

My heart started jumping all over the place as I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the counter. Brock was a flirt, teasing and playful. He’d always been. He was the kind of guy you shouldn’t take seriously when he showered you with attention. I had done so foolishly before and I wouldn’t make that same mistake. Not when it was so easy to blur the lines of friendship with him, but him being engaged had helped keep my head on my shoulders and my heart firmly secured far, far out of his hands.

Not that I was trying to give my heart to him.

So really, him not being engaged meant absolutely nothing.

Nothing at all.

Brock was actually single again.

That barbed-wire wall was gone, as was that mile-deep line in the sand. I wanted to pretend they were still there, but that required a whole lot of lying to myself. Too much effort right there. Brock was available. He could still be dating Kristen. He’d gone back to Philly over the weekend and she was here on Monday. Though he hadn’t seemed exactly thrilled to see her, but I hadn’t poked around with questions, so—

“Oh my God,” I muttered, unfolding my arms and rubbing my hands down my face. Thank the Lord I’d washed the makeup off first or I’d look like that dude with the melted face at the end of one of the Indiana Jones movies.

I could call Abby, but it was close to dinnertime, and talking about Brock to her, to anyone, would make them think—

My phone rang from where it sat on the counter, startling me. I walked over to it, seeing an unfamiliar Pennsylvania number. I almost didn’t answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Brock.”

My eyes widened as my heart did a dumb, stupid jump in my chest. Thinking about him and having him call out of the blue made me want to look around to see if there were hidden cameras in my apartment.

“Heeey.” I drew the word out.

There was a deep chuckle on the other end of the phone. “I realized something. Since we have the dinner tomorrow night, it would make sense that I pick you up in the morning.”

“What?” I so did not see how that made sense.

“There’s no point for both of us to drive to work and then to the restaurant. Parking in town is terrible. So I can pick you up.”

My thoughts raced to catch up with what he was saying. “But you’d have to drive past the Academy, come clear out here to pick me up.”