Page 69 of Hell or High Water

“Tan has bawwoons!” Hawkins announced with a big grin.

“Yep, he has lots of balloons,” Bane agreed, still grinning. Then he looked over at me. “You must be Montana.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

He smirked, then cut his eyes back to Than.

Halo’s hand touched his arm, and he immediately swung his gaze to hers. She gave him a pointed look that just made his grin bigger.

“I got to get some things from my room,” Than told them, then looked at me. “This way.”

“It was nice to see you again,” Halo told me. “I’d say it won’t be this crazy next time you come over, but it probably will be. Hopefully, I won’t be sleep-deprived though, and we can visit.”

I smiled, then nodded before following Than, who was already walking away. “I hope you get some rest,” I told her, then hurried to catch up.

Bane said something low, and it sounded like a deep rumble, and I heard Halo shush him.

Than made another turn, then went to the first open door. I wasn’t sure if I should go inside or stay out here. It was awkward. I slowed and waited to see if he looked back at me. When he went inside and didn’t say anything, I decided to just stand outside the door. I was about to lean against the wall when he stepped out and frowned at me.

“What are you doing?”

“I, uh, was waiting on you,” I told him.

“Are you afraid of my condom balloons?” he asked.

A small laugh bubbled out of me, and I shook my head.

“Then you can come inside my room.”

Well, you were basically ignoring me, so I wasn’t sure.I, of course, didn’t say that aloud.

He waited this time, stepping back as I walked inside his bedroom. My eyes did a quick scan, not wanting him to think I was being nosy, but I was curious. I wanted to see what his personal space looked like.

It smelled like him. I took another deep breath.

The door closed behind me, and the sound of the lock clicking in place had me turning back to look at him.

He grinned. “We have a condom balloon bandit on the loose. Thought I’d better lock it.”

I laughed. “I heard something about that.”

When he started toward me, my stomach did a flip as a wave of excitement hit me, but just before he reached me, he stepped to the side of me.

“I gotta get in here,” he said.

I spun around, realizing I was blocking his dresser. A wide, glossy black piece of furniture that had a dish in the shape of a horseshoe on it, filled with change, and a frame with a picture of a younger Than, Gathe, a gorgeous blonde girl, and another boy with hair so blond that it was almost platinum—all in swimwear with a lake behind them. I wanted to ask about the girl and boy I didn’t know. They all seemed close, and since that was the only photo he had in his room, I knew it must be important.

Than grabbed some sweats, boxers, and a few T-shirts from the drawers, then closed them.

Unable to help myself, I pointed at the photo. “You were young,” I said.

He paused and looked at it. “Eighteen. Summer after graduation,” he told me, and then a sad smile touched his lips a moment before he turned and walked over to drop the things he’d gotten on his bed.

“I recognize Gathe, but who are the other two?” I asked.

His gaze swung back to mine, and I wished I hadn’t asked. Where his smile had been sad, his eyes held pain. Loss. I recognized it. I felt it every day.

“That’s Saylor and…Crosby.” He told me, then took a deep breath and blew it out. “Crosby was Bane’s younger brother and my best friend. He was killed two years ago.” He shook his head.

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