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Colin’s expression remained hard and fixed as he stared at Preston. “Seriously. That wasn’t cool.”
Preston shrugged and tilted back the cup he was holding, finishing the beer in a few quick gulps. “Sorry.”
His gaze darted to mine, only for a single heartbeat and too short for anyone else to see—but it was a lifetime long. It hinted he wasn’t sorry at all, and a thrill shot through me, lighting up every inch of my body.
THREE
Sydney
I sat on the edge of a lounge chair beside the Lowes’ pool, sharing my seat with Madison while we ate cupcakes, but all my attention was on Preston. Across the way, he relaxed at the patio table with his friends, chatting and smiling, and now seemed completely oblivious to me.
Meanwhile, his ‘joke’ echoed incessantly through my head. It made me dream of doing something wild and shocking—something like asking him if he wanted to go out. Not that I’d ever get the opportunity to do that, not to mention, the courage.
Plus, I didn’t know if he was already seeing someone.
I hoped not. My gaze drifted away, only to land on Cassidy Shepard.
Years ago, I’d been so envious of her. She and Preston had been inseparable during their senior year of high school and so sweet, looking at them had given me a toothache.
How things had changed.
Today, she sat next to her boyfriend. Her much older boyfriend, whose arm casually rested behind her on the back of her chair. They looked carefree and comfortable together, but how could that be?
For three years, she’d dated Preston, and then suddenly she was dating his freaking father instead. Dr. Lowe was at least twenty years older than her, and it continued to raise eyebrows in our small, tight-knit suburb.
Colin didn’t talk about it, but I’d heard from a friend that Cassidy lived with Dr. Lowe now. It meant Preston had to share his home with his ex-girlfriend, the one who was dating his dad.
Yikes.
It couldn’t have been easy for any of them.
My gaze drifted back to the patio table on the other side of the pool deck. Preston leaned back in his chair, his elbows on the armrests, and he casually sipped on his can of beer. The evening sun was fading, casting a warm hue over the back yard, and he looked so . . . inviting.
Like he was just waiting for a girl to crawl into his lap.
I swallowed a breath, bunched up my paper napkin, and rose from the chair. I’d handed over my gift, consumed a single beer, which included during the game, and eaten dinner plus a cupcake. It meant it was time to go. I’d shown up for my brother and told him how proud I was of him, graduating despite our parents cutting him off.
I didn’t know if he’d ever have a relationship with them again, but I hoped that would never be the case with us.
I loved Colin, no matter what.
And while sometimes I didn’t love what kind of work he was doing, I respected him for living his life free from our parents’ control. He was an adult, who could make his own decisions and go after what he wanted without shame or worrying about other people’s judgement.
It was easier to think about my brother like that, in vague terms, but sometimes, it wasn’t possible. Thanks to Facebook, a lot of people knew about his career, and last week my friend Hailey drunkenly confessed she’d watched some of his videos.
I’d threatened her with death if she ever brought up the size of my brother’s dick again, complimentary or not.
Gah. I blew out a breath, forcing the thought out with it, and strode toward the French doors, balling my cupcake wrapper and napkin together in my fist.
The trash can was just inside, and after I tossed my garbage, I turned to find a large figure blocking the doorway. Breath tightened in my lungs. Maybe I’d been wrong about him being oblivious to me a few moments ago because Preston’s sudden appearance gave me the impression he’d followed me into the house.
“Hey. You sure you don’t want to play another game?” His smile was infectious, and sexy, making me want to say yes—
But I couldn’t.
I hadn’t really told my parents where I was going tonight, and if I was gone much longer, they might use the location services on my phone. Good god, they’d lose their minds if they saw I was over at Preston’s house.
Could he hear the hint of reluctance in my voice? “I think I’m going to head out.”
