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Griffin’s hair is wet, like he just got out of the shower, and he smells good—like soap or cologne. I wonder if he got cleaned up for me, but the thought only adds to my guilt.
“Hey,” I say, hoping that he doesn’t bring up the guy who is most likely staring at us right now. I’m sure he’ll critique me later on everything I did and give me pointers on how to pick up guys—that’s just Hunter.
Griffin nods his head behind me. “What’s with the bodyguard?”
I flinch, thinking Griffinknows. But then I realize… he’s just being sarcastic when he called Hunter my bodyguard.
I push a piece of hair behind my ear, shrugging one shoulder. “Uh, he just wanted to make sure I made it here safely.” I lick my lips, trying to stall so I can come up with an excuse. “I’m, uh, scared of the dark?” I raise my voice at the end, making it sound more like a question than a statement.
I’m not scared of the dark at all, not since I was probably five years old. It’s not best to lie to a guy you’re trying to start dating, but I’m not sure what else to do. It’s not like I can tell him the truth about Hunter.
Griffin’s brows scrunch together. “Huh.”
I fold my hands behind my back. “But he’s not important.”
He looks at me. “Hunter knows that you’re just friends, right?”
I nod enthusiastically. “Trust me, Hunter knows. He’s just a good friend. He doesn’t like me likethat.”
Nope. I’m the one pathetically pining away over him, but he’s clueless about the truth.
Griffin hmm’s, but he doesn’t comment any further on it. I’m really hoping that this isn’t going to be a huge issue. I just want to hang out with Griffin and try to forget that Hunter is watching us.
“I’m really glad you asked me to hang out.” I rock onto the tips of my toes, looking at Griffin through my lashes. “I’m also really excited about homecoming.”
Eh, maybe excited is an overstatement. But I just want to distract Griffin.
He grins, grabbing my hand. “Come on.”
Griffin pulls me toward the end of the dock. I let him lead me over.
My stomach is in knots, but now it’s because I’m in my own head. The last time a guy pulled me off like this, he wanted to kill me. And IknowGriffin is nothing like Preston, but the thought still enters my head. Maybe I’m still on edge from today. Ididget chased by somebody with a gun. All I want is to head back home and hang out with Hunter. But that is dangerous for my heart. This is where I need to be.
At the end of the dock, we sit down, our feet dangling over the water. If I were a little bit taller, I could put my feet in the water, but they don’t quite reach. Griffin, who is taller, takes off his shoes.
I chew on the side of my lip. “I hope you aren’t mad at me for bringing Hunter. He insisted, really.”
Griffin shrugs. “It’s a little weird. Are you sure he doesn’t have a crush on you?”
I giggle, not knowing what else to do. I just feel awkward. “I’m absolutely sure that Hunter’s feelings for me are completely platonic.”
My feelings for him on the other hand… that’s complicated.
“A guy doesn’t walk you through the woods early on a Saturday night to meet up with another guy unless he’s head over heels, Cove. That’s not how it works.” Griffin adjusts his body so that he’s angled toward me. “And I guess the question is, how doyoufeel abouthim?”
I swallow hard, hoping he can’t read the lie I’m about to tell on my face. “Hunter is just a friend to me. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”
Griffin studies my face. “I’m not sure if I believe you, but if you both had feelings for one another, you’d probably be together. So maybe you’re right.”
I nod, hoping he’ll believe it. “He’s not my type anyway.”
Such a lie.
But Griffin doesn’t need to know about the massive crush I have on my bodyguard. Nobody does.
Griffin chuckles, shaking his head. “Well, that’s a relief then. Because it would suck to have a crush on a girl who had already given her heart to somebody else.”
My heart clenches with guilt, but I force myself to fight. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
