Page 61 of Finding Home

“I’m down to try any strategy that will help me bond with Raine.”And with you.

“Would you mind if I put on my all-time favorite song now?”

“Go for it.”

I stop the song on my phone, and Aubrey starts one on hers. One I recognize instantly, since it’s part of the very fabric of pop culture by now: “Pretty Girl” by Aloha Carmichael.

“Ugh, Aubrey. Not this. Anything but this.”

She giggles. “Come on, Caleb. This is the best song, ever. My top favorite. My desert island pick.”

“Please. I beg you. My ears are bleeding.”

“Oh, calm down.” She gets up and begins dancing to the song, doing choreography like she did the other day when we walked around the lake, and her perky little tits start bouncing with her effort, making me realize she’s braless under there.

“I take it back. The song is a banger,” I deadpan, leaning back onto both palms and smiling up at her dancing frame.

“See? Told you it’s a great song.”

“The best,” I say, enjoying the sexy view. “Was this playing in your earbuds the other day, when we walked around the lake?”

Aubrey laughs at the memory and nods. “Whenever it comes on, I feel compelled to do the choreography from the music video. I can’t help myself.”

“I’m not complaining.”

Aubrey catches on to my ogling and adds an extra jiggle to her movement; and, slowly, my dick begins thickening in response.

“Did you know Aloha’s signed to my band’s label?”

Aubrey gasps and stops dancing. “Does that mean you know her? Are youfriends?”

“Our paths cross, now and again, at parties and industry events. But, no, I wouldn’t call us friends.”

Aubrey’s face is glowing with excitement. “What’s Aloha like? Is she as nice as she seems?”

“She’s nice, yeah. To people she likes. But if you’re angling for an introduction, don’t bother. I’m not someone she likes.”

Aubrey gasps again, this time dramatically feigning shock. “What? Who on Earth could resist your cheerful, charming personality,C-Bomb?”

By all rights, I should be laughing with her right now, since she’s adorable and funny. But I can’t laugh because I’ve just realized my mistake. Surely, the odds are high my ill-advised disclosure about Aloha will lead to Aubrey asking me?—

“Why doesn’t Aloha like you? What’d you do?”

Yup. That.

“Nothing too egregious. She’s good friends with some people who think I’m an immature, hotheaded little prick.”

“Why do they think that about you?”

“Because I was an immature, hotheaded little prick to them.” I manage a tight smile, but Aubrey frowns. Fuck. Why’d I lead the conversation down this path, when it will almost certainly lead to me being asked to explain my bad behavior? Aubrey of all people—the woman I’m trying to get into my bed again—the woman I might even be falling in love with—doesn’t need to know about that whole saga. Not now. Not ever.

“What’d you do, Caleb?” Aubrey prompts, her dark eyes wide. Suddenly, it’s clear she’s not being playful anymore. She’s not flirting. She’s locked in and dead serious.

I scratch my arm and try to look unbothered. Neutral. Like it was no big deal, rather than the thing that still haunts me, to this day. “Nothing too terrible. I was just being my cheerful, charming self. Apparently, I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.” Averting my eyes, I decide I’m done with this conversation now. All conversation, in fact, for the rest of the night. It’s high time for me to fuck Aubrey Capshaw or jerk off to fantasies of her, if she’s not down.

I turn off the putrid song blaring on Aubrey’s phone and grab both phones off the deck. With a loud sigh, I get up and put away my tools, signaling to Aubrey I’m done here for the night. And not only in relation to the deck.

“I’m going to bed,” I announce, when my clean-up is done. “Am I going there with or without you, babysitter?” I didn’t plan to put it so bluntly. Didn’t plan to force the issue. And I certainly didn’t plan to call her “babysitter” while inviting her to get fucked. But the Aloha thing’s got me stressed—worried Aubrey’s going to somehow find out about what happened between me and Violet—and me and Dax. And now, my brain’s hurtling into a bit of a tailspin.

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