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Jake: Agreed
Coop: …
Archie: Meet after practice 2morrow?
Jake: Yes
Coop: Need a ride.
Archie: You always need a ride.
Coop: Bite me.
Archie: No thanks.
Jake: I’ll get u.
Chapter Fifteen
Guitar Hero
The ride on Bubba’s bike was fantastic. I could have sworn he took the long way to get to his place—like around the lake the long way—and I didn’t care. It had been a kind of weird day. Hanging on as the breeze hit my face while the bike rumbled between our legs was like the best therapy I’d ever experienced.
Not that I’d ever gone to therapy. Curtises didn’t go to therapy. We managed. We endured. We got by. By the time we pulled up to Bubba’s house, his parents were actually on the way out the door.
“Frankie!” His mom greeted me and as soon as I got the helmet off. I got a quick hug. They were always so touchy-feely. Fortunately, as swiftly as the hug was done, she turned to her son. “There’s leftovers in the fridge,” she said. “We had tacos yesterday, all the fixings, just heat them up and there are shells in the pantry. Dad and I are going to be out late this evening… date night.”
Bubba grimaced.
“C’mon, sweetheart, I’m pretty sure we don’t need to traumatize the kids and, Ian,” his father continued, eyeing him. “Don’t keep Frankie out late.” The last was said with a meaningful look at me.
Oh. God.
“Dad,” Bubba said. “You and Mom have a great time.” Instead of being embarrassed, he slung an arm around my shoulders. I kind of wanted to just evaporate.
Then Bubba tugged me toward the house while his parents left. Did they think we were going to…?
“Frankie, don’t freak out, okay?” Bubba gave me a little squeeze before letting me go to open the door. His phone started buzzing as he led the way inside. “We can go swimming again if you want. You know where the suits are.”
Yes, yes, I did.
I dropped my backpack on the table in the kitchen as he pulled out his phone. “Maybe we should just work on the audition? And I can take a look at your essay samples?”
He glanced at the phone then at me. “Or we can go swimming and hang out for a little while, then work on the music.”
Folding my arms, I leaned against the table and stared at him as he stared at his phone. His thumb flew as he answered a question, a frown tightening his brow. It was probably one of the guys or maybe something to do with the football team. Turning my gaze to the windows, I stared out at the pool.
It was still hotter than Hell outside. Swimming had been a blast last week, but that was before…
I swallowed.
“Frankie?” Bubba caught my arm and tugged me so I looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said, but the dampness on my face gave me away. I swiped at my cheeks. “Allergies. You know, swimming sounds great. I’ll go change.”
And I fled, right up the stairs into the guest room.
Inside, I blew out a breath then instead of changing, I just sat on the end of the bed in the guest room. At the end of last year, when I’d still been holding out some vain hope to get asked to the spring formal, I found out my best friends pretty much marked me as untouchable. Nobody was supposed to ask me out. Apparently, Jake even scared off the one guy who’d almost done it—though I didn’t know if that was in sophomore or junior year. Just that he’d done it.
