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“Hmmm. If I were forced to pick,” his fingers tap against the steering wheel, “I’d choose—”
“Who were you making out within the boathouse, Brett?” I blurt, interrupting their odd banter.
The smile fades from his face as he goes back to staring at the darkened road, and Lizzie glances away, gazing out the passenger side window.
“No one you know,” he mutters when the silence turns oppressive.
“Really? That’s interesting because Pine Grove is a relatively small town. In case you’re not aware, everyone knows everyone around here.” Not to mention, they’re all up in each other’s business.
Instead of telling me to mind my own beeswax—which is exactly what Brett would typically do—he presses his lips together and ignores me. When it becomes apparent that he isn’t going to respond, I slump on the seat and fold my arms across my chest.
This evening has turned out to be a total bust. At this point, it’s doubtful ice cream, and a movie rental will be able to salvage it.
And that’s saying something.
Danielle
My lashes flutter open, and I blink as my eyes adjust to the dimness of my bedroom. I glance at the other side of the queen-sized mattress only to find it empty. As I sit up and search the room, I realize Lizzie is nowhere to be found.
With a grunt, I toss off the comforter and pop to my feet. I really hope she isn’t sick. I don’t think she drank that much at the party, and she certainly didn’t seem tanked when we arrived home a few hours ago. We ended up getting into our pajamas, making popcorn, and watching a movie my parents rented earlier that evening from the grocery store.
As I pad toward my door, there’s a plink against the window from outside. My hand flies to my mouth, stifling the squeak of surprise as I nearly jump out of my skin. It sounds as if someone might have thrown a tiny stone against the glass. Detouring in the opposite direction, I creep toward the window before carefully drawing back the curtain and peering into the darkness. My breath gets wedged in my throat when I find Ty staring up at me from the front lawn.
I unlatch the lock and shove the windowsill up before pressing my face against the screen. “What are you doing here?” If he’s looking for Brett, he’s got the wrong room. Although, he has to know that. Ty has spent the night at our place dozens of times.
Instead of answering the question, he asks one of his own. “Can you come down and talk for a couple of minutes?”
Why?
It’s not like we have anything to discuss.
Ugh. I really hope he didn’t see me watching him make out with his girlfriend earlier this evening. How mortifying would that be?
Any other night, if I’d found Ty standing beneath my window, asking me to come down, I would have been over the moon. But I no longer feel that way. Ty has a girlfriend, and I’m nothing more than Brett’s kid sister. No matter how much time passes, he'll never see me any differently.
And that’s not his problem. It’s mine.
“Dani?”
His deep voice has me blinking out of those depressing thoughts. Even though I know it’s a terrible idea, I jerk my head into a nod. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
My heart reluctantly jackhammers against my ribcage when his lips lift into a smile. “I’ll be waiting.”
As much as I want to be over this guy, I’m not. A sigh escapes as I retreat from the window.
What the heck am I doing?
This will only make matters worse.
With shaking fingers, I grab my robe and wrap it over my short nightgown before cracking open my bedroom door and peering outside. When nothing stirs, I creep into the hallway, past my parent’s room, and down the stairs to the foyer. As I hit the last tread, the hardwood creeks beneath my weight, and I freeze, glancing up the staircase to the second floor. A couple of heartbeats pass before I reach out and turn the handle, opening the front door before slipping onto the porch.
I swing around only to find Ty waiting a few steps away. We stare at each other before he stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jean shorts.
A smile curls the edges of his lips as he inspects my pajamas. Even in the darkness, I see the humor ignite in his eyes. “Righteous nightgown.”
Huh? My brow furrows before I glance down and wince.
Care Bears.
And now my humiliation is complete. Just kill me before I die of total embarrassment.
Well...he already thinks I’m a child, so what does it really matter?
Heat fills my cheeks as I yank the edges of my robe together. “Is there a reason you’re here?”
The amusement dancing in his eyes fades as he closes the space between us. “You took off from the party before I could talk to you.”
