Page 22 of Obligation
He rolled onto his side and blindly reached for his phone. Swiping his thumb across the screen, he squinted at the unfamiliar number. He clicked on it and read the message.
Unknown: Tiff and I made it home. Thanks for everything tonight. I’ll pay you back for the Uber.
Bradley straightened, his heart racing. The message was from Carissa! He quickly saved her number, then typed a response.
Bradley: Thanks for letting me know and don’t be ridiculous. I’m not taking your money.
He yawned and rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. Knowing he now had Carissa’s number sent a thrill through him. Not that he could really do much with it—he’d vowed to keep things platonic.
Carissa: You won’t have a choice if I cram it down your throat.
Letting out a surprised laugh, he settled comfortably against his pillows, a huge grin on his face.
Bradley: I’d like to see you try, sweetheart.
Carissa: Still not your sweetheart.
His grin widened, and his fingers flew across his screen faster than he could think about what he was typing.
Bradley: Your loss.
Tiny dots appeared on his screen, then vanished, then appeared again. She was either typing a lot, or typing and deleting and typing something else. He held his breath, waiting and anticipating what she’d have to say next.
Carissa: I’m sure it is. Good night, Bradley.
He stared at the words, unsure what to make of them. Truth be told, he was slightly disappointed; he’d expected something snarky or funny in response. Then again, she’d had a hell of a night. She was probably tired.
Bradley: Good night, Carissa. See you tomorrow.
Carissa: Shit.
Another surprised laugh escaped him, and he shook his head with amusement. If he was confused by her previous reply, he was downright befuddled by this last message. He wanted to send something else, something witty that would hopefully make her smile, but he was at a total loss. So, instead, he let her have the last word.
Chapter Nine
“Hey, Mom.” Carissa walked into the kitchen and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Dinner smells good. What’re you making?”
“Hi, honey. Lasagna with my homemade sauce, fresh garlic bread from the bakery that your father likes, and a salad with veggies from the farmer’s market.” Mom wiped her hands on her apron, then eased it off over her head. She draped the apron across the back of one of the stools that surrounded the small breakfast bar in the middle of the kitchen.
Carissa’s mouth watered, and her stomach grumbled. “Yum,” she said.
Homecooked Sunday dinner was one of the very few benefits of attending college so close to home. Even though she complained about the weekly obligation, and she hated that she couldn’t invite her boyfriend, she secretly liked the tradition.
“Your brother and his friends are outside. So is Cayla.”
Carissa’s heart fluttered at the thought of Bradley being in her backyard. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, or how to act after the events of last night. Danny was right—she had been throwing a tantrum, and Bradley had witnessed the entire, mortifying thing.
“Those two boys… Bradley and Jeremiah…” her mom said.
“Jeremy,” Carissa corrected.
“Right.” Mom smiled. “They’re very nice boys. Extremely polite.” She grabbed a crystal Swarovski vase from the windowsill above the sink and held it out. “Look at these flowers Bradley brought for me. Aren’t they gorgeous?”
Carissa’s eyes widened at the full, colorful bouquet of roses that must have cost a small fortune. “Yeah, they are.” She leaned forward to sniff the flowers. “Need any help with dinner?”
“No, I’ve got it under control.” Mom set the vase back on the windowsill and turned her attention to the oven.
Carissa headed for the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard. When she stepped outside, the sun reflecting off the water in the lagoon-style pool nearly blinded her. She shielded her eyes and looked around. Her sister Cayla was lounging on a nearby chair, sunglasses covering her eyes. Was she even awake? Cayla had a bad habit of falling asleep outside. She’d suffered more than one blistering sunburn as a result.
