Excruciatingly.
Groaning, I got out of my car. At the last second, I grabbed my sketchbook from the back seat. I couldn’t leave that behind,especially since I needed to practice as much as possible. But I had to get home and take a shower first.
6
KC
I stopped near the front door of Pa’s house and glanced down at my phone when it buzzed, my stomach melting as I read Ren’s message again. My heart did stupid cartwheels behind my ribs.
Inked God Ren
Can’t wait to see you Wednesday. Maybe we can meet earlier? Tonight?
I resisted the urge to groan in disappointment and peeked over my shoulder at Oli, taking in the way the setting sun glinted across his curls and gentle face. Sometimes I thought he was completely innocent with his soft-spoken voice. He was too sweet for this world. There was something about Oli that piqued my interest and made me super aware of him, even though I tried hard not to be. We hadn’t had many deep conversations, but he always held my attention when we were in a room together.
I didn’t know a lot about him because he was so shy, but Barber loved him. He talked about him every day after work, about how great Oli was and how lost Barber would be withouthim. He was proud of Oli, and it was a sharp reminder of how much of a father figure Barber was to him. WhateverinterestI had in Oli needed to be stomped on. Hard.
Either way, Oli needed my help with his car, and I couldn’t go back on my word because a man covered in hot tattoos was asking me out for a smoothie.
KC
Sorry, I can’t this evening. Helping a friend.
I pushed down a pout and shoved my phone back into the pocket of my shorts. I turned toward Oli, wincing when my knee gave a painful throb. I’d torn the ligament last year and it loved to remind me that I’d injured it. Taking a run this afternoon was fine, but I’d pushed myself to a limit that our trainer told me to avoid. I couldn’tnot, though. After sitting out for so many games last season, I had a point to prove.
“I’m going to take a quick shower and make a protein smoothie before we go. Want anything while I’m in the kitchen?” I offered Oli a smile.
Red bled into Oli’s cheeks and he shook his head, then tucked his chin against his chest as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to look at me or hide. He hugged a sketchbook like a lifeline. “No, I’m good, thanks.” His voice wobbled with uncertainty.
“All right. I won’t be long. You want to come in and wait?”
“No, no.” He laughed, but the sound sat somewhere between embarrassed and distraught, and I didn’t understand what I’d done to make him so awkward around me. “I’m fine to wait here.”
I frowned, but something told me I wouldn’t win this fight. Oli was on the verge of jumping out of his skin and I didn’t know why. “Okay.”
I made my way inside, bypassing the living room to head straight to my bedroom. Pa had given me the biggest room in the house when we’d first moved in and it was on the bottom floor, which made it easy to leave early in the mornings to work out while Pa still slept. He’d told me more than once that he trusted me, so if I ever wanted to bring boys home, I could, and I loved him for the faith he had in me. But the sad reality was that I’d never had a guy in my room. I’d dated one person and he would rather have been caught dead than anywhere near my house.
His resistance to being seen in my bedroom messed with my head, and while Pa had told me the problem was with him and not me, my brain didn’t get the memo. Hookups worked for me, at least for now.
I went through to my connected bathroom and took a quick shower. When I was finished and dressed, I walked into the kitchen to the blender. I was quick making my smoothie, putting together the fruits and whey isolate protein that Hawthorn had suggested. Technically, I was drinking more smoothies than he’d recommended, but I didn’t see how it mattered. I needed all the muscle I could get.
Once the smoothie was made and in my to-go cup, I grabbed my Jeep keys and met Oli out front. Twilight was settling in and he looked a little lost in the growing gloom.
“This one’s mine.” I pointed at my orange Jeep parked at the end of the driveway near the street.
Oli smiled and ducked his head with a small shrug. “I know what you drive, KC.”
I cocked my head, taking in his permanently pink cheeks and the way he kept darting his gaze at me. He’d always been a shy guy, and I could never figure out why. He was cute, with brown curls, pale skin, and big brown eyes, and he’d started growing into his body. While he was still sinewy, his pecs and deltoids had hardened up and his forearms were firmer. He wasn’t myusual type because I liked someone who didn’t mind standing out in a crowd.
He was attractive, but I wasn’t sure we would mesh, even if I wasn’t worried about his connection to Barber and had asked him out.
We slipped into the Jeep, and I reversed, putting her on the street before knocking it into Drive.
“How are your classes going?” I asked, filling in the awkward silence that prickled my skin. I popped on the headlights because it had finally reached the point where they were necessary.
He didn’t say anything. It felt like he was stuck in a thinking silence, but it dragged out.
I hated when it was too quiet. I resisted the urge to groan. “I’ve got Weeman for one of mine.”
