This Summer (11 page)

Someone touches my arm. I turn and Carter stands close to me, his arm brushing against mine.

“Hey,” I say, absently handing him two coupons.

He takes them. “Hi.”

I politely step back and meet Isabelle’s glaring gaze from behind him. “Here,” I say, giving her the coupons as well. She practically rips them from my hand and hesitates. Her eyes lock on the back of Carter’s head, but he’s not paying attention.

Realizing this, she turns away, her flip-flops echoing in the nearly empty space.

“What’s up?” I say to him, ignoring the fluttering in my stomach.

“I feel like we haven’t had much time to talk this week. Do you want a ride home?”

“It’s out of your way.”

He leans closer, his eyebrows slightly raised, showcasing his gorgeous blue eyes. “I don’t mind.”

“Ready?” Will appears on the other side of me.

Carter scowls, but his eyes are still on mine.

“I’ll see you tonight,” I say to Carter.

He doesn’t move from his spot as Will and I exit the building. Without looking I can feel his eyes on us and the hairs at the back of my neck prickle.

The warm evening air is a welcome relief to the uncomfortable stuffiness of the building and Carter’s unbearable gaze.

***

Will’s pace is slower than normal as we walk through the woods. I’m grateful since my knee has gone from comfortably numb to pin pricks every time I take a step.

“How’s the house coming?” I offer by way of small talk.

“Good. It held up better than I thought it would, but I have to complete some minor repairs before the open house.”

I nod, unsure of where to take the conversation from there. When did this get so hard? Conversation between us was never weird.

“Tell me about the ranch,” I say, hoping for a glimpse of what he was going to tell me the other day.

He sighs, almost relieved for some reason. “It’s really great. The days are long but I really enjoy working with my hands.”

I bump his arm. “Must be genetic.”

His smile fades and I know I’ve hit something, but he quickly picks up on the silence. “Probably. But I’ve learned a lot more on my own.”

“Does your dad not help out?”

He massages his neck, craning it, his eyes focused on the ground. “He helps out, but I mainly work with the animals. He keeps up the rest of the place.” His sentence fades as if talking about the ranch is uncomfortable. “Anyway,” he interjects before I can say anything else. “Tell me about your senior year. That must have been fun.”

I shrug. “It was okay. I think I was ready to get out of here long before that.”

He nods, chuckling. “I understand that.”

My skin prickles. “But it was good. Better than I would have hoped.” I suspect Carter had a lot to do with that. He distracted me from the void in my heart. Something I regretted even now. I didn’t use Carter but it was a different kind of relationship. As much as I loved him, it was never as deep as I loved Will for all those years. But that was something I didn’t even share with Lily. It was my own shameful secret.

“Do you want to come inside?” Will asks.

We’ve reached the edge of the woods at the edge of our neighborhood. The setting sun casts a glow over the houses in its descent. I glance at my house.

“Unless you have something else to do?” he pushes.

I shake my head, smiling. “I’d love to.”

CHAPTER NINE

Will

I side-step Hadley and hold my front door open for her. It takes her a second to figure it out and enter the house. Apparently Carter
didn’t
have manners. Not that I’m surprised.

“Thanks.” She holds her arms close to her body.

I close the door and toss the keys into the bowl on the table by the door. I look around, trying to see the house through her eyes. I spent my nights after camp cleaning up the house and doing minor repairs. The bigger projects are for this weekend. The bathroom sink needs to be repaired and I have to run the numbers on replacing the hot water heater. I’m hoping to find a refurbished one for a reasonable price, but am waiting on a phone call back from one of Dad’s old friends. At least his name still held some clout in this town.

“Everything looks exactly the same,” she says, peering into the living room.

I lean my shoulder against the door frame and scan the room which faintly smells of the wood cleaner. “The furniture held up well. The realtor said to keep the house as if it’s been lived in.”

“When do you open the house to buyers?”

“In a few weeks,” I say. I move the subject away from that. As much as I hate this house, it’s still mine for the moment. And the thought of leaving it again makes my stomach churn. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Sure. Whatever you have is fine.”

I walk past her. She moves out of my way, but still avoids touching anything.

In the kitchen I open the fridge, grabbing two bottles of water. Just as I close the door, Hadley’s scream rips through the air along with the sound of spraying water. I toss the bottles onto the counter and run to her. Just as I suspected, she’s in the half-bathroom next to the kitchen. Hadley is drenched with water and her hands are flailing in front of her blindly, reaching for the handle. I reach forward, water spraying over my face and down the front of my shirt, and turn the handle into the off position.

“The sink doesn’t work,” I say.

She pushes dripping hair away from her face. “No kidding.”

I press my lips together, unable to hide a grin. Her shirt clings to her chest and it takes all of my effort to keep my eyes locked on her unamused face.

“Hold on,” I say and jog down the hall to the pantry. I grab a dish towel and bring it to her. When I return, she’s pulling her shirt away from her chest, a hint of red creeping up her neck. I hand her the towel and she takes it, drying her face first. Her mascara smudges, creating a raccoon-like ring around her eyes.

“I need to go home,” she says, now glaring at herself in the mirror.

I shake my head. “I didn’t hear you go in. I should have said something.”

“That will teach me to just assume I can come in here and pretend it’s the same as before,” she mumbles, but her eyes widen suddenly. “I didn’t mean—”

I step forward, my legs not listening to my brain. I touch her shoulder, pushing her hair away from her face. “Both of those things are my fault. Besides, this house is just as much yours as it is mine. At least for a little while longer.”

She’s breathing quickly and I realize I’m still touching her. I drop my hand from her shoulder and take a step back. Her eyes travel over my shirt before she pulls the towel close to her.

Neither of us speak as she rubs the towel over her hair.

She breaks the tension. “I should go home though. And change before the carnival.”

I look down at my shirt. “Yeah, me too.”

I’m frozen to the spot as she slides her body between me and the door frame. I don’t know why I don’t give her more room, but when her body brushes against mine and her breath hitches, my heart pounds around in my chest in double time. I grab her arm as she passes and her eyes meet mine.

“Come back over before you go,” I say in a low voice. “We can walk together. Since we are working the same booth,” I add the last part quickly.

“Okay,” she says and starts for the door.

I drop her arm and watch her leave. She doesn’t give me a second look.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rings. I push the shower curtain aside and reach for a towel, wrapping it around my waist as I get out of the tub. I race down the stairs and pull open the door.

Hadley stands there, her damp hair pulled back from her face. Her eyes widen and she quickly diverts her eyes to the doorbell. “Ethan used the hide-a-key the other day and didn’t return it.” She holds up her phone. “And he’s not answering.”

I tighten the towel around my waist. “Okay.” I move aside and she hesitates at the door. “I have some extra camp shirts if you want to wear one tonight?”

She steps through my door the second time today. “That would be great. Can I use a
working
bathroom?”

I close the door and grin. “Sure.”

I climb the stairs and Hadley is a few behind me. She hovers at the top of the stairs.

“Right through there,” I say, pointing.

“I know,” she says. “I need the shirt.”

Duh. “Yeah, I’ll be right back.”

I blow a breath through my teeth when I enter my room. I sift through the closet for one of the shirts from a few years ago, hoping it will be small enough for her. Good thing Mr. Beauman hasn’t changed the design for a while. I grab a shirt but freeze, seeing Hadley in the doorway. Her mouth is pursed and she stares into the room as if in a trance.

She blinks and tilts her head to me. “It looks exactly the same.”

My eyes dip to the ground then back up. I step towards her, holding out the shirt. “Yeah.”

A hint of a smile touches the corner of her mouth but it fades when she takes the shirt. Her soft fingers touch mine and she pulls the shirt away, but she doesn’t move. Her eyes drift to the furniture, her eyebrows knitting together as if she’s trying to solve a puzzle. Her eyes fall to mine and she blinks, breaking whatever spell she was under.

“I should change,” she says, holding up the shirt for emphasis.

I close the door behind her retreating body and find my own clothes to wear.

***

Hadley is still in the bathroom when I’m finished. She’s rustling around the drawers and in a few seconds I hear the blow-dryer. Another random item that Mom neglected to take in her mad dash to get out of the house. Another reminder that I am my parents’ son. The fleeing from my mom and the anger from my dad. Even though I’ve worked hard to keep the latter at bay.

I head into the kitchen and grab the water bottles from the counter. In the living room, I settle into the couch and turn on the TV. I bought a limited cable package for the summer. I may have been living on a ranch but I wasn’t completely pulled away from society. I stop on a rerun of my favorite law drama, Judge & Jury.

Hadley hovers in the doorway. “You still watch this show?”

I smirk. “After six seasons I’m not sure if I can stop.”

She rounds the couch, her hair dry. The shirt is a few sizes too big, hiding her curves, but that’s probably a good thing. “We have some time, do you mind if I hang out here until the carnival?”

I move to the other side of the couch and she sits, her spine straight.

I hand her a water bottle.

“Thanks.”

I turn up the volume and after a few minutes, she sits back against the couch. I let out a slow breath as if I’d been the one stiffly sitting.

“This is the one with the church murder,” she comments.

“Brutal,” I say, resting my arm on the back of the couch.

I catch Hadley’s head turn but I keep my eyes on the screen. She pulls her fingers through her hair and sinks deeper into the couch, strands falling over my hand. She doesn’t notice, but it’s all I can think about. I absently rub the soft strands between my fingers. Now all I think about is our kiss the night I left. The want builds inside of me and for a second I throw all consequences out of the window. A soft sigh escapes her lips and it takes all of me to not close the distance between us. God, no other girl I’ve ever met has this effect on me. What is it about Hadley?

The credits to the episode run and she turns to me.

I pull my hand away, rational thoughts taking over again.

“You okay?” she asks.

I take a breath. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Another episode continues and I turn back to the screen, but I feel her eyes on me.

“What?” I ask.

She smiles broadly.

“What?” I repeat, smirking.

“Memories,” she says plainly, turning to the screen again.

“Memories,” I echo.

We stare at each other, the opening music of the show filling the thick air between us. She flutters her eyelashes and I’m holding my breath. A sharp rap on the door splinters whatever moment we shared. Who the hell could that be?

I hop over the back of the couch and pull open the front door.

Lily leans through the doorway. “Is Hadley here?”

“Come on in,” I say, moving aside.

She pushes through without a thanks. I shake my head and can’t help a chuckle.

Hadley turns in her seat, her eyes wide with guilt, even though we didn’t do anything. Not for lack of want, anyway.

“Did you get my text?” Lily asks.

Hadley presses her lips together. “I left my phone upstairs.” She gets up from the couch.

Lily flicks her gaze to me. “Upstairs?”

“Long story,” Hadley shoots as she takes the stairs two at a time.

I take a seat on the couch and Lily plops into the recliner. Her arms are crossed and she’s rocking, her eyes drifting to the TV. “You two are still watching this show? It’s so boring.”

“Nah,” I say. “It’s entertaining.”

“Yet another thing we disagree on,” she says, like a challenge. But I don’t take her bait.

Hadley comes down the stairs, extinguishing the unsaid battle between Lily and I. “Ethan locked me out of the house,” she explains to Lily.

“That explains no one opening the door for me,” Lily says, draping her legs over the armrest of the recliner. “We have another half hour before we need to leave, can we at least watch something funny?”

Hadley looks at me and quirks her lips before sitting back down on the couch. I toss Lily the remote and she homes in on the TV, landing on a reality show.

“Do you want something to drink?” I ask her.

“Sure, whatever you got is fine,” Lily responds, her eyes glued to the screen.

I get up from the couch and head toward the kitchen. But I don’t miss the pleading look in Hadley’s eyes, mirroring my emotions exactly. ***

Hadley

Will leaves the room and from the corner of my eye I see Lily’s head snap in my direction. I shake my head slowly.

Not now
, I silently plead.

A low grumble resonates in her throat and I roll my eyes. I exhale, pressing my back into the cushion, thinking of Will’s hand just inches from my body. He has no idea what he does to me. Frustration at myself and him billows inside of me but when he reenters the room, unaware of the feelings inside of me, I let mine go. It’s not his fault that I had a crush on him for so long. Maybe it’s better he’s unaware, easier even.