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“Care to enlighten me?” I can’t stop smiling now, no matter how hard I try to fight it.
“All in due time, pretty girl. All in due time.”
“That’s all I get?” I object when he settles back into his chair and looks up at the sky.
“It’s all about where the night ends, Tess—never how it begins.”
“Are we talking in riddles now?” I question, sinking further into my chair, my eyes never leaving the side of his face.
“I’m just saying, I’ve got all night to change your mind. One night is all I need.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself. Who’s to say I’m not getting ready to get up and leave right now. In case you missed it, there’s a pretty kick ass party going on right through those woods.” I point behind me.
“If there’s one thing I do not lack in this world, Tess, it’s confidence.” When he flips his gaze back to me, I swear my entire stomach bottoms out. “And if you were going to leave, you would’ve done it already. So why don’t you do us both a favor and stop pretending like you’re not enjoying every minute of this as much as I am.”
“You’re something else, you know that?” My lips betray me once more, the stupid smile pulling them up giving away exactly what he’s doing to me.
“You have no idea,” he promises.
“So, if you’re planning to keep me out here all night, the least you can do is stop playing your little games. I see right through you,” I counter.
“I think you’ll be surprised to find you don’t know me nearly as well as you think you do. But because I don’t feel up for getting into that tonight, why don’t you tell me more about you.” He lifts the bottle of Jack to his lips, taking a long pull before offering me the bottle.
I take it, drinking more than I should before passing it back to him, only now truly realizing the buzz running through my veins. I wouldn’t say I’m drunk,
not by a long shot, but I’m certainly feeling the effects more than I’ve been letting on.
“I’m pretty boring,” I admit, keeping my gaze on the sky.
“Now why do I find that hard to believe?” I can hear the smile in his voice, but I keep my focus off him. I need to keep a semi-clear head, and when I look at him I swear everything goes wonky.
“You shouldn’t, it’s true.” I shrug.
“Well, let’s say for argument's sake that you’re wrong.”
“I’m not, but by all means—ask away.” I sigh.
“How about we just start with the basics. You know: childhood, your home life, favorite kind of music. You get the idea.”
“So you can see just how boring I actually am. Okay,” I concede. “I’ve lived here my whole life. It’s just me and Mom, has been since I was little.”
“Your dad?” he asks before I can keep going.
“Died when I was six, car accident.”
“I’m sorry,” he offers, his voice softer than before.
“I don’t really remember him. My mom rarely talks about him. I think it’s easier for her to pretend like he never existed. I don’t know. I never really understood it.” I pause, letting the moment settle around us. “Anyway, my mom is a pediatric nurse for Sanderson General in Montgomery,” I say, referring to the next town over. “She works third shift and a lot of twelve hour days, so sometimes I’ll go a handful of days without seeing her because of the way our schedules work.”
“Sounds lonely,” he observes, rolling to his side to look at me.
I hesitate for only a moment before doing the same, loving the way his hazel eyes hold mine so intently.
“It’s not so bad. I have Courtney and Bree, who are more like my sisters than my best friends.”
“Is that why they ditched you tonight?” There’s no insult in his tone, he just seems genuinely curious.
“That’s just how we are. When I need them, they’re always there. And they know I’m a big girl and can take care of myself. Besides, they love to have fun, and I don’t want to be the Debbie Downer who holds them back.”
