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Turning to Cal I whispered, “I’ll be right back.”
Tyson grabbed my hand when I was in reach and yanked me behind him until we were in the kitchen. There, I took my hand back and glared at him. “What is wrong with you?”
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” he said. I tilted my head to the side, glared at him, unsure of what he meant by that.
“He’s got way more experience than you.” I looked the other way.
“What do you know?”
“I know plenty. Guys talk in the locker room.”
My head swiveled back around at him and I frowned. “It’s just rumors. Cal is sweet.”
“He was groping you,” Ty declared.
I started to go back to the living room. He wasn’t groping me. He was caressing my back. There was a difference. I was fuming now. Tyson caught me. “The three of them have a reputation.”
“He said he’s been with one girl.”
“He’s lying. Ask him,” Ty urged.
I yanked my arm out of my brother’s hand and tried to get away again.
“Abs, you haven’t been with a guy. You don’t know what you are doing with Cal Cooper.”
I was fine. Cal wasn’t pushing me to do anything. That’s what Tyson didn’t understand. I stomped down the hallway. My feet making a heavy sound on the hardwood floors. Cal was staring at me when I hit the living room, carpet. Much softer than the unforgiving hardwood.
I plopped down by him and crossed my arms. I stared at the television unwilling and unable to look at Cal until he said, “What’s wrong?”
I gave him a quick look. I decided to trust Cal and not rumors told in the boy’s locker room. “Nothing,” I said and leaned my head on his shoulder. He kissed my temple and we went back to watching our movie.
Chapter 9
On Sunday after breakfast, Cal picked me up for our date at his house. Dad wasn’t happy about it. He liked for us to be together on Sundays, the one day that he was home. Mom soothed it over for me. After all, he would be watching football all day, so why did it matter?
I had to be home by five, she told me as I raced out the front door when I saw Cal coming up the walkway. As soon as I met him midway, he pulled me in for a kiss. A quick one. I turned and looked at the big floor to ceiling windows that faced the front yard and driveway to see if Dad was looking outside but he wasn’t. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I could have said hello to your parents,” Cal informed me.
“That’s okay,” I said turning him around and giving him a shove. “What are we doing today?”
“Mom went to see Rhonda for a little while. She’s bringing lunch home. What do you want to do?”
I was nervous. Would we be alone in the house? I had been
alone with Cal before, in my house. Not his. It was easier being in my own territory. “Whatever you want to do,” I replied.
“Care if we just go to my house and wait for her? Blythe is there.” I felt somewhat relieved by that. “She’s sleeping but she’s there. Her snoring would wake the dead but she’s there as a chaperone,” he offered. Then he gave me that charming wink that he was always doing that made me think he wasn’t so serious about what he was saying.
I laughed. “Not much of a chaperone, I think.” Did we need one?
Ty was getting into my head.
Cal didn’t live that far from me in a cute neighborhood with tree lined streets. Older homes that were well maintained. The yards freshly mowed. When we arrived at his house, he got out and beat me to my side of the car. I was still taking in the neighborhood. His house. Him. He opened the door for me and took my hand.
In his house, Cal showed me around. He was right, the house wasn’t the same as mine, but it was charming. Homier and I liked it so much more. On the mantel were pictures of Cal and his siblings. I checked them out while he went to get sodas for us.
I turned when he came back to the family room. “Let’s go to my room,” he suggested.
