Page 49 of Playing with the Heartbreaker

Taking your advice. Leaving the party. I’m safe. Will check in later :)

I don’t wait for a response but follow Rhoads down the street to his truck. My fingers tingle at his touch as he helps me up, and for a breath, I second guess whether this is a good idea. My heart tells my brain to shut up, and I close the door. I click my seatbelt as Rhoads fiddles with his phone, finally playing a classical song through the stereo.

“Wait. Why do I know this song?”

“This?” Rhoads says, buckling his own seatbelt. “Philip Wesley.”

The pieces click in my mind. “You played this for me in the music wing.”

His eyes brighten in the glow of the streetlights. “Well, to be accurate, you eavesdropped.” Rhoads turns on his lights and eases into the street.

“Fair point.” I cock my head to the side, appraising him.

“What?”

“You, Rhoads Simpson, are quite the puzzle.”

That cracks his face into a wide grin. “Yeah? And have you figured me out yet?”

I shake my head, smiling. “Not even close.”

“Good. So, home?”

The neon clock on the dash glows ten o’clock. My parents aren’t expecting me back until midnight. “It’s early still…” I let my sentence trail off in hopes he’ll fill it in without me having to admit I don’t want to be alone.

“Perfect!” He bangs his hands on the wheel for emphasis, beaming. “You hungry? I have a craving for hash browns. And I heard from an expert source that Peggy’s is the best place to go.”

I can hardly contain myself on the way to Peggy’s. Every so often I catch Rhoads sneaking glances at me. I only know because I keep doing the same thing. Why am I suddenly feeling shy? It’s not like this is a date. But telling off Graham has unlocked something in me.

“Chloe Baker, as I live and breathe!” calls Peggy when we enter. Her smoky voice carries through the whole place.

“Hey, Peggy,” I say.

“How you doin’, hon? Been a while since you been here. Everythin’ okay?” She narrows her dark brown eyes on Rhoads. “This is a different boy than last time.”

“Nothing gets past you, Pegs.” I laugh. Peggy and my parents go way back. I’ve been coming to her diner since I was in diapers. And I may have made this my third home over the summer, after my actual home and Coffee Jungle. “Can we have the table by the back window?”

“Ahh, the most private table.” She winks at Rhoads and my face flames.

“Not what I meant.”

“I got you. Follow me.” She waves us back with the menus.

Rhoads smirks. He’s totally unembarrassed. I want to punch him. Or kiss him.

“I’m just yankin’ your chain, hon. You take whatever table you want. Not much competition tonight.” She gestures to the mostly empty diner. One other couple sits at a small booth on the opposite side of the room, talking in hushed tones.

“You’re on good terms with her,” Rhoads says, gesturing for me to choose a side of the booth.

I shrug. “I used to come here a lot.”

“With The Jeep?” He slides in across from me.

My gaze snaps up to his from where I’ve been pretending to read the menu. I can’t decipher his expression. “Yeah…but even more after we broke up. Turns out hash browns are just as good for healing as they are for celebrating.”

“An equal opportunity food. I like that.”

A few minutes later, Peggy arrives at our table, flicking her gaze between Rhoads and me. “You two need more time?”