Page 12 of Drive Me Wild
So homey and cozy.
Despite the scene in front of me and the mouth-watering pie Renée hands me, I’m hyper-aware of the paper in my back pocket. It’s almost as if there is heat radiating from it, threatening to burn my butt cheek.
My mind jumps down a rabbit hole, and I doubt I will escape until I sneak away and read the note.
It has to be from Caleb. But why would he leave a note? What could he possibly say?
We all go outside to sit around the fire, and a quiet descends on everyone. It’s been a long day, and we escape into our own thoughts until Buzz pipes up.
“So Zoe, how long are you in town for this time?”
“What?”
I was definitely thinking about seeing Caleb shirtless and wet earlier.
“That tired, huh, kid?”
“Yeah. I had a long drive over this morning.”
“I’m keeping her as long as possible,” Renée says. “This town could use a little more sass.” She flips her hair and juts out her chin, which is something we used to do to imitate the popular girls in school.
“Your job doesn’t mind?”
“No, Buzz. I work for myself. Mostly. I had a part-time job at the school as a paraeducator, but the levy didn’t pass the special election last month. So my job was cut.”
A hush hung over the party for a minute, each back in their own thoughts.
“I work online. I just need the internet and occasional coffee.”
“You know who has some killer internet? Caleb. He—”
“NO!” Simultaneously, Cole and Renée shake their heads at Buzz.
“What?”
“Zoe doesn’t need to hang out in his bachelor pad stepping over god knows what from his overnight guests.”
“Overnight guests?” My throat tightens, even though I know what they are talking about. I feel ridiculous even caring about it. He doesn’t owe me anything. We’ve only spoken a handful of times and we’ve never even so much as exchanged numbers.
Still, there is a note in my pocket that I’m sure came from him and the confession I made to him last spring about wanting more. Both of these things mean something to me.
I’m just not sure exactly what—yet.
Cole pushes a stick into the fire, sending sparks into the night. “He’s popular with the female tourists and out-of-towners.”
“Not so sure about that anymore, son.”
Cole looks at Buzz, confused.
“He’s been up in the hills with his brother just about every weekend this summer. Our house, too.”
My mind starts racing.Why change?What happened?The way everyone talks about him, he’s been chasing girls since the first hair sprung on his chest.
“What’s he…what are he and Cody up to?”
“Dunno. Working on the forest bioacoustics project, I guess. Those two have a separate universe they live in, just the two of them. You know that.”
Renée shifts in her chair, and a hush falls over us again. Finally, Cole speaks up.
