Page 44 of Drive Me Wild
“I follow a lot of self-help influencers online.”
I reach across the table and grab one of her hands, noticing that they are shaking a little. “Thank you for trusting me with your secret. I’m honored.”
“Thanks for listening. I haven’t told anyone other than my online friends. And to them, I’m ‘WickedSticks.’ Just another person hiding behind an avatar on the internet.”
“Well, you have me. And when you’re ready to tell her, I know you’d have Renée as a confidante. Even though we grew up in a smaller town than Owl Creek, we’re of the same mind, which is to say we are accepting of other people and their experiences.”
“Telling someone feels good. Thanks.” She got up and hugged me. “And I promise I won’t say anything about you and Caleb. Hey! Does this mean you’re staying long-term in Owl Creek?”
“That is starting to look like the plan. I mean, not because of him, but if it works out, that would be cool.”
Good save.
Chapter Twenty-One: Caleb
Idon’t know who is more shocked, Zoe or me, that I asked to take this relationship to the next level.
The thing is, I’ve never thought that was something I wanted. My reputation as a lady’s man formed before I graduated high school, and I believed it. I believed what people said about me. If they saw that in me, it must have been true, so I stuck with it.
It’s amazing what happens when you start to question what the world tells you is true.
It’s as if a curtain has been hanging in the stage of my life, and I didn’t realize it was covering everything up. I thought that the little bit of the stage that fronts the curtain is all there is. And then I noticed that the curtain was there. The shock of realizing it exists takes a while to get used to. But then I started to pull it back, revealing everything that sits behind. The set. The scene. The place where the real story plays out. That curtain was me as the world sees me. What is behind is the ‘me’ that is real.
This summer, for the first time in my life, I’m deciding what is true because I’m peeling back the curtain. I’m deciding that I amenough for Zoe. I’m becoming the man who she deserves. Who I deserve to be.
I want to do real boyfriend-level stuff, so I reserved a table for Friday night at a romantic place in Port Stratton. I figure we have enough time to sort out our cover story, and hopefully, after that night, she won’t want one.
Zoe comes over right when I’m closing the shop on Friday. She’s in a cream sweater with a little black skirt, and I think I would gnaw off my arm if Cole tried to stop me from being with her.
Her lips are a glossy pink, and I wrap myself around her and press my mouth to hers. She’s soft and melts in my arms. I wish I could pick her up and carry her to my room now, but I want to give her a night she’s worthy of.
“I gotta take a shower. Do you want anything to drink? I’ve got beer, sparkling water, tea, just about everything.”
“Sparkling water? Sounds fancy. I’ll have one of those, please.”
She kisses me through her grin.
“I’ll just be in the shower for a minute.”
“Um, Caleb. I know we’re going on our first real date, but is it okay with you if we drive separately? To keep up the ruse?”
I try to mask my disappointment as I turn to grab her some water.
“Of course. Not a problem.”
I add a lemon slice to her glass and hand it to her, then slip down the hall to the bathroom.
This is what she needs. Keep an eye on the prize, jackass.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Zoe
Ifollow Caleb’s truck down the winding coastal road to Port Stratton, my hands tight on the steering wheel. Even though we agreed to take separate cars to avoid raising suspicions, now I wish I was riding with him, stealing glances at his profile as he drives.
The sun is setting over the water that emerges to my left as we near town, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold that remind me of the flush that spread across my chest the last time he touched me. Heat pools in my belly at the memory of his mouth on me, his hands gripping my thighs. I force myself to focus on the road.
My heart skips when we pull into the gravel lot behind a weathered building. The restaurant looks exactly like something I would have chosen – small and unpretentious, with twinkling lights strung along the wooden deck that overlooks the water.
Caleb is waiting for me before I can grab my purse, and the sight of him leaning against his truck in dark jeans and a fitted henley makes my mouth go dry. His smile when he sees me sends warmth spreading through my chest.
