AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Marley
I roasted my marshmallow, absorbing the conversations going on around me. Heath’s family was so nice and welcoming. They didn’t seem to mind that I was here, and they’d accepted Ireland, Sarah, and Addy as if they’d always been a part of their family.
The entire situation made me hope for more for myself. But I couldn’t help but think about what it would feel like when Heath realized he valued Aiden’s friendship more than what we were building.
We assembled our s’mores and settled back in our spot—what Emmett had labeled our “love nest.”
We waited for everyone else to find a spot. The girls were up front on their bean bags, and most of the adults were on camp chairs in the back.
The movie started, and I settled against Heath’s side.
Heath leaned down to ask, “Will you go out with me?”
I laughed to cover my discomfort. “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“I want to take you out. Maybe to a restaurant in Annapolis. Or ice skating. Whatever you want.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. It felt bigger than just a guy asking a girl out on a date. Being in public was symbolic for us in a way it wouldn’t be for other people meeting for the first time. “What if it gets back to Aiden?”
Heath frowned. “Does Aiden still talk to anyone from here?”
“I don’t think so.” He didn’t have many friends. Teachers assumed he was a troublemaker when he wasn’t. He kept his head down, got decent grades, and searched for a way out.
“I don’t remember him hanging out with anyone else but us.”
“You were the only ones who didn’t treat us like trailer trash.”
He put his arm around me, bringing me closer to his heat. “Don’t call yourself that.”
I shook my head. “You realize that’s what everyone else called us, right?”
“I told anyone who said that to keep their mouths shut.”
That was surprising. I hadn’t heard that, but then we weren’t in the same grade. “Is that all you did?”
“You don’t want to hear this.”
“I kind of do,” I said as the movie played on the side of the barn.
Heath’s gaze was on the moving screen. “Let’s just say I got physical when they didn’t get the message.”
“You did that for my brother? I would have thought he could take care of himself.”
“He knew back then he wanted to be in the military. He didn’t want a suspension for fighting on his record.”
“That sounds like Aiden. So, you defended his honor?” I asked, curious about this side of Heath.
“Something like that. I didn’t like people talking about your family. It wasn’t your fault your parents were pieces of—”
“You can say it.”
Heath sighed. “They’re still your parents.”
“They were placeholders. They didn’t make sure I had food or made it to school. And they only talked to me when they needed something.” Which wasn’t often. They were too caught up in themselves.
“You turned out amazing despite them.”
I smiled. “I like to think so.”
