AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We ignored Malachi, too lost in one another.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, pulling back, his gaze searching my face.
“Fine,” I said. “Everything is fine.”
As long as we were okay, then nothing else mattered. Kendall was just a girl—albeit a crazy one—and I could handle her. If ignoring her didn’t work, then I’d deal with her at some point.
“What are we doing tonight?” He leaned in and grazed my lips with his, and my body shivered. “I thought you might want to hit Rogues?”
I reared back, eyes wide. “You’d come?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, I go there sometimes anyway.”
A smile broke over my face. He was so adorable like this. Vulnerable and open.
Guilt snaked through me. God, I was a terrible person. I didn’t deserve him.
“It’s Tuesday. I have to work and then…” I hesitated. “Then I thought we could go to Teller’s?”
Evan broke his hold on me to scrub his jaw. “You want to go to that dive bar?”
“I kind of liked it. I felt, I don’t know, like I could be myself.” Not that I exactly knew who I was anymore, but I didn’t have to worry about anyone’s judgment there. It was refreshing.
Evan looped his arm back around me and pulled me flush to his body, lowering his mouth to my ear. “I didn’t like seeing you in the middle of that, being pushed around by guys twice your size.”
“Guess you’ll just have to protect me then.” My voice was light and playful, but I realized that I was silently asking more of him. He laughed, kissing my cheek, and mumbled something about me driving him crazy.
And for the first time since arriving here, I felt like maybe, just maybe, Credence was exactly where I was supposed to be.
* * *
“I’ll see you later,” I called, grabbing the spare key off the sideboard. Mom’s head appeared around the kitchen doorway at the end of the hallway. “What time will you be back?”
“My shift finishes at eight thirty, but Evan is picking me up.”
She bristled, disapproval sparking in her eyes. “Becca, I’m not sure I like the idea of you going off with that boy at all hours.”
“It isn’t all hours, Mom. I’ll be home before eleven thirty.”
“Becca—”
“Bye, Mom.” I didn’t look back as I slipped out of the house.
The diner was only a fifteen-minute walk, and despite the chilly afternoon, I decided to walk. Mom was still sulking over Evan, and Dad was at work, like always. By the time I entered the diner, my hands were numb.
“Hey, sugar,” Cindy called as she dashed through the swinging door, hands full of plates.
I gave her a small wave and headed into the back to get ready. Two minutes later, I joined her out front.
“Come here,” she said, beckoning me over.
“What?” I eyed her warily. She had that look, the one that meant she was up to something.
“Just get over here.”
With a heavy sigh, I scooched over to her, letting her place her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes roved over my face, twinkling with mischief. “You had sex.”
My jaw dropped open, and I shirked out of her grasp. She giggled, clapping a hand over her mouth, while I stood there glaring at her.“Sugar, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
