Ethan's POV
The truth – that I'd been too nervous to risk wasting one – stuck in my throat. Instead, I gave her my best mysterious smile. "Maybe I just wanted to make sure you'd remember me."
"Trust me," she said, her voice dropping lower, "that wasn't going to be a problem."
My heart skipped at her words. The way she looked at me, those eyes holding secrets I desperately wanted to uncover.
"About that..." I cleared my throat. "Technically, this isn't even using a strike."
Her eyebrow arched. "Oh?"
"See, you gave me three strikes for your phone number. But I haven't actually used your number yet." I spread my hands. "So by the letter of the law, all three strikes are still intact."
Lucy's laugh rang out, drawing glances from nearby tables. "Are you actually trying to rules-lawyer yo
