AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I give my head a shake, blowing out a low laugh. “Do you check a lot of houses for their spare keys?”
Adalyn stands when I reach the steps, her smile wide, white teeth gleaming even in the dark. She places a hand on the porch railing and moves aside to let me pass.
“I tend to stick to the houses without porch lights, but I decided to make an exception tonight.”
“Under the right cushion on the porch swing,” I say, swinging open the screen door and unlocking the deadbolt on the main door.
“I’ll make a note of it in my phone for next time,” she replies smoothly, not missing a beat.
“Or you could just call.”
The cool air from my newly installed air conditioner washes over me as I hold the door open and nod for Adalyn to move inside first. Once we’re both in, I leave the heavy door open but let the swing door slam shut behind us.
The tall blonde moves past me, strolling right into my home like she owns the place. I shake my head, slipping off my shoes and following her.
“I figured if I called, you might have turned me down. But a surprise visit with your favourite dessert? I figured my odds were better off,” she says, and for the first time, I take notice of the small cardboard box in her hands.
Despite just having dinner less than an hour ago, my stomach makes a loud growly noise. “Is that what I think it is?
Her blue eyes spark, the colour so light they nearly appear clear. “Double-chocolate cheesecake with fresh raspberries from the Sweetery downtown. You bet your perky ass it is.”
Her bluntness doesn’t affect me much anymore, not after being on the receiving end of her ridiculous banter all these years, so I ignore it, choosing to place a solid hand on her back and move us toward my kitchen instead.
“You didn’t have to bribe your way in, but I appreciate the gesture. I’m certain you’re here for the same reason I was planning on calling you tonight. We can talk while we eat.”
4
COOPER
Adalyn flickson every light we pass on the way to the kitchen until I’m sure the entire house is fully lit and then slides onto one of the leather dining chairs surrounding my small table off to the side of the kitchen.
The dining area is on the smaller side as my house isn’t big. There’s enough room for myself to live comfortably but not much else. With only the master bedroom, a spare room small enough that if it weren’t for the window, I wouldn’t even consider it a bedroom, and one and a half bathrooms, I tend to get out of hosting family dinners more often than not.
The only time I can fit the number of people we consider to be family at my house is when I can shove them all outside in the backyard.
The cardboard pastry box falls to the table seconds before Addie peels back the top. My mouth waters as I dig around in the cutlery drawer for two forks and hand one over before sitting across the table.
We dig into the cheesecake in silence, a familiar buzz of nervous energy in the air. Addie slips her gaze around the kitchen as she places her fork between her teeth and gently bites down. I flinch, the sound of teeth scraping metal making my muscles tense.
“Do you want me to start? Or do you want to?” I force the words out.
She flicks her eyes to mine, letting her fork slip from her mouth as she carefully sets it on the dark wood table.
“I need you to come with me on my trip. My roommate—or I guess she’s not really going to be my roommate for much longer now that she has to move. You know what? It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that she can’t come anymore, and I don’t think I can do it on my own. Actually, I know I can’t. I would either get lost and end up kidnapped and held in some creepy basement, or—”
“Addie,” I interrupt softly. It becomes abundantly clear to me that she doesn’t know about her dad talking to mine, so I decide to keep it to myself. I doubt telling her would do much besides embarrass her.
She sucks in a long breath, her cheeks flushed but not from embarrassment. It’s something else turning her face the colour of her lip gloss, and when she grits her teeth, I realize it’s frustration. Anger that she can’t take care of something on her own.
“I know you have a life and that this probably throws a wrench in your entire summer. You don’t owe me anything, but I really need you this time,” she rushes out, fingers tangled in the streaks of blue and pink that highlight her light blonde hair again, after a year of having it dyed a pastel purple.
Without thinking twice, I snap a hand out in her direction and carefully envelop her fingers in mine, pulling them from her hair. I offer a small smile as I set her hand down on the table and lean back in my chair.
“Don’t pull out your hair, Adalyn. Take a breath.”
She taps her nails to the table and tips her chin. “Shit, sorry. I’m freaking out.”
“You are, but it’s okay.”
