Now I’m back at the house and it’s not even eleven o’clock. The parental units went to a party their friends were having and they warned both Sydney and I that they had no clue when they’d come back home.
Meaning they wanted us on our best behavior and not try and pull something while they were gone. Dad even said, “No funny business,” before he left the house.
That cracked us up.
I park my car and enter the house through the front door, stopping short when I see Sydney passed out asleep on the giant sectional in the living room, a throw blanket covering her curled up form. All the lights are off but the TV was still on, though the volume was turned down low.
Sitting on the opposite end of the couch, her legs stretched out in front of her and her phone clutched in her hands, is Lucy.
Fuck. The very last girl I want to see.
Liar.
Right. The only girl I want to see. I can’t get this girl out of my head, no matter how hard I try.
She glances up, the glow of her phone’s screen illuminating her face and my mouth goes dry. She looks damn pretty no matter what she’s doing, where she is. Her hair is pulled up into a high ponytail and she’s wearing a white tank top that shows off her tanned skin, with denim shorts that reveal a lot of leg. Simple outfit, I bet she doesn’t have a lick of makeup on and just like that, I’m hard. As in, I want her.
Bad.
Seven days. That’s all it takes for me to give in to my weakness. Because the only weakness I seem to have is Lucy.
You haven’t given in yet, asshole. Stay strong!
I tear my gaze away from her legs to find her watching me with a slightly mortified expression on her face. Like she didn’t mean to get caught hanging out here. “Hey,” she whispers.
“Hi.” I lean against the wall, not sure what to say next. Just like that my buzz is gone and I’m stone cold sober.
“I thought you were going out tonight.” She makes a face, like she doesn’t like thinking of me out with someone else. I wonder if she even realizes she just did that.
“I did go out. Now I’m back.” I flick my chin at her. “What are you doing here?”
“Sydney invited me. Said your parents went to a party so I came over and we ate pizza. Watched movies.” Her phone screen shuts off and only the faint blue flickering light from the TV screen allows me to see her.
“She passed out?” I push away from the wall and enter the living room, noticing the way Lucy springs to her feet, smoothing her hand over her hair with one hand as she shoves her cell phone into the back pocket of her denim cutoffs with the other.
“Yeah. I should go. I, um, probably overstayed my welcome.” She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear and makes to dodge past me but I step directly in front of her, going on pure instinct.
And maybe fueled a little by liquid courage.
“What’s the rush?” I let my gaze rove over her face, taking in every pretty feature, liking how nervous she appears. Does that mean she still feels it? Feels whatever we have brewing between us?
“Aren’t your parents coming home soon?”
“Nah.” I shake my head. “They’ll be out for a while longer, knowing them. They like to party.” I reach out and touch her arm, trail my fingers along baby soft skin. “Want me to walk you back to your place?”
“No. I’m fine.” She shakes her head, a tremulous smile on her face.
“So you’re saying you’d rather stay here with me?”
Her mouth falls open and I’m filled with the urge to kiss her. “That…might not be a good idea.”
She’s not stupid, this girl. She knows I’ve been avoiding her. Hell, she’s probably been avoiding me too. No more early morning exercise sessions on the beach. If she and Sydney get together, it’s never over here. I’ve given up on watching her lounge around her pool too. That was nothing but pure, sweet torture.
“You’re probably right.” I scratch my chest, ignoring the way my heart is starting to race. Damn it, all from her being so close. It’s like I can’t help myself. “But sometimes bad ideas can turn into good ones.”
A little huff of laughter escapes her. “I forgot how charming you can be.”
“You thought that was charming?” I wasn’t even trying.
“I think pretty much everything you do is charming.” She presses her lips together after that particular confession.
I smile. “Stay a while. Watch TV with me. I need to unwind.”
She frowns. “Unwind from what?”
“Stay with me and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Lucy turns to look at my sister. “What about Syd?”
“What about her?”
“What if she wakes up?” She faces me once more.
“She won’t. Syd sleeps like the dead. So do I.”
She bites her lower lip, contemplating my suggestion and I wish like hell she’d say yes. “Thanks for the invite but…I can’t, Gabe. I should go.”
Disappointment fills me and I shove it aside. “Then at least let me walk you back home.”
“I think I can make it okay. It’s just next door.”
“It’s not safe,” I protest. “Plus it’s so late.” This sudden near overwhelming need to protect her, to make sure she’s all right, throws me. Makes me feel unsure.
“It’s not even eleven,” she says with a little eye roll. “I’ll be fine. Really. There’s no boogey man out there waiting for me.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”