Page 29 of The Story of Us
“The rest of you are with me and Ted.”
After a brief explanation of the first activities and a few warm-up stretches, Eloise and Bianca guided their group over to the hopscotch mats.
“Hey, Callum. Missed you at art class today.” Eloise fell into step with the blond-haired teenager.
“Dad figured out what I was doing.”
“Oh?”
“Yep.” The glumness in his tone was hard to ignore.
“Well, maybe you can come along next week.”
The boy shook his head. For someone so young, he’d perfected the thousand-yard stare, his gaze fixed on the old members’ sheds.
“I don’t think so. Dad said I need to focus on footy not some silly painting club.”
“I like both,” Eloise said carefully as they lined up at the back of the queue for one of the hopscotch mats. “Sports are good for our physical and mental health, and being creative helps me express myself and relax. Maybe I could call your dad?”
“Don’t waste your time,” Callum said. “He only sees what he wants to see, and footy is all he cares about.”
Sensing someone’s gaze on her, Eloise turned around. Nate looked away immediately, and Joanie’s words rolled through her mind, mixing with all the stories Charlie had told her about Nate over the years. Neither aligned with what she’d seen when Nate had come back from the States all quiet and shy and—she swallowed—broken. But what if she’d been wrong? And she’d only seen what she wanted to see?
10
“Cockblocking your brother is the literal embodiment of violating the bro code.” Teddy frowned at Nate as they stood behind the footy goals, catching and returning kicks.
“Trust me. I did you a favour.”
“From the hot woman with the sexy body? Consider me a very willing victim. You know I’m not looking for anything serious. Besides, you’re the one making out with Eloise in public. The logical next step is to spend as much time together as possible.” Teddy jumped, easily catching a wayward football. He punted it back gently, flashing a thumbs up when a young girl caught it. “Honestly, it’s like I’m the only brother who understands women. Owen was useless until shit hit the fan with Alice and he had to get his head out of his ass. Raff torpedoed things with Cassie for reasons no one knows or understands, and now this. You finally kiss the girl you’ve been mooning over for years—twice, Mum’s been counting and updating the family group chat—and then when she shows up making sex eyes at you, you stick her with the person she can’t stand. Dude. Just no. To all of it.”
Memories of their kisses had been tormenting Nate for the last twenty-four hours. “You can’t say s-e-x. There are kids here.”
“Relax. They can’t hear us. The older ones are too busy looking at Eloise’s and Bianca’s asses anyway.”
“Teddy.”
“What? Like you’re not looking?”
Nate sighed. “I wasn’t … looking at Bianca’s.”
Teddy’s smirk was infuriatingly well deserved, even Nate could acknowledge that. “Shut up.”
“So …” Teddy raised his eyebrows.
Nate caught a low kick and took his time lining up his return shot, trying to avoid his brother’s questioning gaze. “So what?”
“What’s next? Are you going to ask her to be your girl? Go steady?”
Nate shook his head. “On a scale of one to ten, how much are you enjoying this right now?”
“Not as much as I would’ve enjoyed being partnered with Bianca.”
“Jesus, Ted.”
Teddy’s laugh was more irritating than it should’ve been. “Language, Nate. There are children here. Stop avoiding the question. Where are you going to take Eloise for your first official date?”
“Nowhere.”
