Page 12 of Spreading Her Wings

I checked behind me as if to make sure the ladder I’d had leaning against the house was still there before I hurried over to Auston with a half glance over my shoulder.

“What in the world are youdoinghere?” My tone was harsher than I’d intended, earning me a raised eyebrow and half of a scowl.

“Well, I came by your house to see if I could bribe you into coming to the bar tonight because Simone and Ash won’t stop asking, but you weren’t there. Imagine my surprise when I saw you covered in dirt and sweat. I couldn’t resist stopping.” He chuckled and relaxed his posture against the side of the truck. This was entertaining to him. “Is this your grandma’s place?”

“She’s my great aunt.” I sounded defensive, so I took a deep breath. “She’s like my grandma, though. My grandma died when my mom was really young, so Aunt June practically raised her. We’re really close. I come help her as much as I can.”

“That’s sweet,” he said, pushing off the truck. “What are we working on?”

“We?”

“Sure. I have a free afternoon.” He shrugged with a smile before confidently walking into my aunt’s yard.

I sighed and followed after him, taking the first step up onto the ladder. “I’m cleaning out the gutters.” I looked again at the dirty, damp pile and the lack of progress I’d made. “If you really wanted to stay and help, I guess that’d be nice of you.”

He chuckled, picking me up by my hips and setting me on the ground next to the ladder. “I’ll climb. You hold the bin.”

I looked to the open curtains on the window, sure Aunt June would be watching from her favorite spot at her kitchen counter, probably with a cocky look of pride on her face. Honestly, I wouldn’t be too surprised if my sisters were watching with her. A nervous blush warmed my cheeks. I’d never hear the end of it—the good girl brought the tattooed bad boy to Aunt June’s.

We worked for an hour. Auston pulled handfuls of gunk from the gutters and dropped it into the can I strategically held for him. He had a mischievous glint in his eye, and I worried more than once that he was going to drop the disgusting handful into my hair. It seemed like something he’d do—or at least that he would’ve done a couple of weeks ago before we’d started this weird arrangement, whatever you would call it.

“So, can I ask you something?” I chewed on my lip nervously until I tasted iron.

He rested his elbow against the gutter, leaning casually on his hand as if he had all day and wasn’t standing at the top of my great aunt’s ladder. “Shoot.”

“When are we going to, uh, break up?”

I shrieked when he quickly climbed down two rungs before leaping from the ladder to the grass. He landed gracefully on his feet, but I still rushed to his side to make sure, earning me a chuckle in response.

“Well, you already told Simone you’d come to Vegas, remember?”

I giggled when I remembered the way she’d cornered me. “No,tequilatold her I’d go to Vegas. If you dump me, then I don’t have to.”

He rubbed his hands together, feigning hurt. “Ouch, kitten. I thought you wanted to go.”

When he said the nickname I’d hated until a few days ago, an involuntary shiver went down my spine, ending between my legs. “I… It just might be kind of weird. Going on a trip with your fake boyfriend… it just seems likea lot. You know?”

“You’re going to Vegas.”

I looked at him, lifting both eyebrows as if to point out his audacity. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“I’m not telling you what to do. I’m telling you what you already knowyou wantto do,” he said, stepping towards me and putting his hand on my hip. I floated towards him involuntarily. “You don’t need someone to tell you that you want to come with us because we both know you do, and that you’re going to. Don’t we?”

I opened my mouth, ready to respond, when the front door flew open and we were quickly bombarded with giggles and chatter. “Ooh, Katie has aboyfriend!”

“Ahotboyfriend!”

“Amy! Emma!” I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face and turning to face my sisters. Auston smirked next to me. “You’re acting like a couple of kids.”

Both girls gasped and glared at me. At sixteen years old, being called a kid was the furthest thing from a compliment. Still, they shrugged, turning to Auston. Their honey-brown eyes matched mine, and they blinked in succession. “Sorry,” they said together.

Auston chuckled. “I’m Auston. I’m your sister’sfriend.” I rolled my eyes. Were we really even that? It had seemed like it the last couple of weeks, but it was weird to me.

“I’m Amy.”

“I’m Emma.”

They spoke at the same time, giggling and leaning together. “Are you on Instagram?” Amy asked, pulling her phone from her pocket.

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