Page 20 of Hate To Love You
Until he’s stopped by Gracie. “Liam! Glad I caught you! Bernie, Zeke, and Deena are coming to my place to hang out. Just a small nothing thing at eight o’clock or so. Can you come?”
Of course Liam’s gut reaction is to decline the invitation. After the long day he’s had, he really would rather go home, enjoy one of his mother’s home-cooked meals, then get lost in another long and entertaining conversation with his dating app obsession, who just might restore his faith in men.
On the other hand, some nights Hate2LoveU isn’t responsive, which is understandable, as they both sometimes are busy with their day-to-day offline lives—of which neither has divulged much about, admittedly—so it’s possible he might have a free night.
“Please?” Gracie asks again. “If you’re there, I’ll even bake a plate of my famous gingersnaps. Fresh, hot, tasty gingersnaps.”
Liam glares at her. “Youhadto mention the gingersnaps.”
“Don’t make me beg.”
Admittedly, a relaxing evening away from home also has an appeal he can’t easily resist, with or without Gracie’s gingersnaps. And she’s a friend from school he hasn’t spent any time with this summer. With there being no guarantee of a conversation tonight with Hate2LoveU, what harm can one evening out do? He has his own offline life to live.
“Fine, I’ll come,” he gives in. “No further bribing required.”
Gracie squeals and throws her arms around him. “Yesss! It’s gonna besomuch fun!” She lets go. “Um, do I still have to make the cookies, or—?”
“Yes,” states Liam flatly, then the two of them laugh.
And it all would have gone perfectly, had the voice not come from behind, startling them both: “Cookies? Fun? What’s gonna be so much fun?”
Their laughter dies. They turn to find Teague standing there appearing curious, gripping his apron in a ball hanging from his fist, eyebrow quirked, giving a charming, cockeyed smile.
The audacity of this guy. Liam can’t believe, after everything, that Teague would still dare to intrude like this. Is the guy insane?
“Oh, nothing,” says Gracie with a shrug. “Just a little boring thing at my house.”
“Boring thing? I love boring things! Can I come?”
Gracie’s mouth opens and closes like a fish, over and over.
Liam should have expected this. Whatever happened between them today, it’s far from over. Teague has more games to play.
But would it really be so bad to let Teague join? Liam doesn’t have to speak a single word to him, and all of Gracie’s friends willact as the perfect buffers. Besides, if the night goes south, Liam can turn to his secret lightning-bolt-farting comfort as an excuse to leave. Isn’t it basically a win/win?
Liam turns to him. “Of course. Why not? More the merrier.”
Teague is naturally surprised. “Really? Wow, thank you!” He comes right up to Liam’s side and throws an uninvited arm around his back. “Thanks for letting me in on the fun, guys!”
Liam instantly regrets his kindness.
Has he seriously forgotten what Teague did to him today?
This isn’t an act of forgiveness. This is Liam being weak. He caved when he shouldn’t have. Didn’t he learn this lesson already?
A storm brews inside him. It’s a wicked storm. And within its clouds of pettiness and malice, a bad idea materializes. Suddenly, Liam can’t help himself and lets out the idea in the form of words: “But if you come, you should know that it’s a costume party.”
Gracie stares at Liam, stunned and confused.
“Costume party?” asks Teague, similarly surprised. “In July?”
“Yep. Right, Gracie?” he asks with a smile. She doesn’t answer. “It’s a fun Theatre thing Gracie throws together. Everyone likes to outdo each other, too, so, y’know … go all out. Be creative. Crazier the better.” Satisfied, Liam slips out from under Teague’s arm and gives Gracie a cheery wave. “See you tonight!” And off he goes.
9
Go All Out
Teague parks his truck by the curb, hops out, and saunters up to the front door of the squatty house at the end of the street. He tugs on his vest, fluffs up his fake chest hair, and gives his nuts a subtle adjustment in his tight shorts before finally ringing the doorbell.
