Page 10 of Lost Boy

Either way, I have no idea where he goes when he leaves, but he isn’t at the house nearly as often as my brother and Watson are.

As I finish my homework, propped at the bar area in the kitchen, I realize it’s about to be one of those rare days because I see his truck pull into the driveway and I watch him walk toward the front door.

Pushing the door open, he doesn’t greet me with his usual grin. Instead, it’s almost like I’m not even here.

“Hi,” I say, making sure he sees me. Which, let’s face it … he has to.

“Hey,” he answers quickly, not sparing me a glance before he heads toward the stairs.

I hear him trudge up the stairs before his door shuts.

“Well, okay then,” I mutter, closing my laptop and stacking my things into a neat pile. “Nice to see you too, grump ass.”

Cade

The water in my shower is so hot that I feel like it might melt my skin off. It burns my body as it pelts my flesh, but I stand here, not wanting it any other temperature.

I raced home after the team workout today. A lot of the other guys, Hunter and Watson included, were going to get a bite to eat. I was growing more agitated by the second, and I needed a little something at home to get me through my knee screaming at me for overdoing it.

I feel bad that I was kind of a dick to Haley when I first got home. She was just the only thing standing between me feeling like shit and me feeling a tiny bit better. I didn’t have time to chat with her. I needed to get upstairs.

Now that I can actually concentrate, I feel like a douchebag. I mean, shit, I didn’t even look her way. I’m going to make it up to her though. I might not be able to look at her the way I did the night we danced together, but I can still be her friend.

Shutting the shower off, I grab a towel and dry off before wrapping it around my waist. I walk into the hallway just as she comes up the stairs to head to her room. When her gaze lands on my bare abdomen, her cheeks pinken, and her eyes widen a fraction. Catching herself staring, she quickly puts her head down and heads toward her door.

“Haley baby,” I say sluggishly. “I need to run to the grocery store for some shit. Ride with me?”

I don’t acknowledge that I was a jerk to her when I got home. Because honestly, it doesn’t matter all that much. I don’t owe her anything. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. Besides, she probably didn’t even care or notice.

Slowly, she glances at me. Keeping her eyes solely on my face. “Why?” her sweet voice squeaks.

“Because I want to hang out with you, duh.” I wink. “But if you’re too cool for me, I understand.” I wave toward my upper body. “Just so you know, if you decide to go with me, the store has ano shirt, no servicepolicy. So, go on and get your ogling out now, babe.”

“I wasn’toglingyou,” she says, narrowing her eyes. “You’re being cocky. And annoying. Just so you know.”

“You were. But it’s cool. I’d check me out too. Also, if you walked out of the bathroom without a shirt on … I’d ogle the fuck out of you as well.” I smirk. “So, what do you say? You going or not?”

Watching me for a moment, she eventually nods. “All right, I’ll go. I guess.”

“Good. Meet you downstairs in five.” I point to my stomach again. “Last chance before the shirt goes on.”

“You’re such an arrogant asshole!” She scoffs, shaking her head. “For the final time, I wasn’t looking at your stupid six-pack!”

Her hair is doing that thing it does when it’s humid out. It frizzes, and I notice that she always tries to pat it down. I like it when it’s this way. She’s got all of these things that she probably considers imperfections, but they make her damn near irresistible to me. She’s kind of messy. She’s short. She’s got thick thighs. Wavy, untamable hair. And those handful offreckles sprinkled across her face. She’s the furthest thing from textbook. And I love that.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I raise an eyebrow, running my fingers against my chin. “So, now, you’re saying I’ve got a six-pack. You must have been really lookin’, huh, Haley baby?”

“Don’t make me change my mind, Huff!” she growls before heading into her room and closing—no, forcing—the door shut.

When we pull into the parking lot at the grocery store, she giggles when I park really far away from the building.

“You’re just like my brother. Scared to death someone will ding your door if you park too close.”

Grabbing my hat from the dashboard, I pull it onto my head. “Hell yes, I am. Half these motherfuckers here don’t give a fuck about other people’s shit. They’ll ram a cart against a car and be like,Whoopsies! Tee-hee-hee!” I scoff. “Yeah, no. I’m not taking any chances.”

Pushing our doors open, we head toward the building.

“So, you’ll just walk, like, half a mile instead?” She laughs.

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