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When everything stayed quiet, I went back to my car. It was parked just off the road, hidden under branches. Assessing my state, I noticed my torn shirt and dirty pants. The smell confirmed I’d landed in cow shit.
I quickly undressed, then poured water from my drink bottle over most of my body. I patched up my arm, wrapping it tight. But even after I’d changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a white button-down shirt, the smell lingered.
I had no time to go home and shower, though. I was running late for Lenny’s basketball game, and if I didn’t show up, he’d never forgive me.
* * *
Turned out showing up with scratches all over my face and the smell of cow shit lingering around me wouldn’t win me the sister of the year title.
I sat high up on the bleachers, making sure to stay far away from the groups of parents gathered as close to the court as they could get. I’d never made friends easily, and I didn’t even try anymore. At least I didn’t have to come up with an excuse as to why I smelled so bad.
We could be moving again without notice at any time. Lenny knew it was a possibility. But he was social and amassed a huge friendship group wherever we went. And he loved his current school.
I’d have a war on my hands if I forced him to change schools before the year was over.
“This seat taken?”
The familiar deep rumble sent unwelcome goose bumps all over my skin. A body dropped onto the bench next to me, close enough that our thighs touched.
Forcing myself not to move away, I sighed long and loud to make sure he heard me. Then I pointedly looked at the nearly empty row. “There a reason why you’re sitting this close?”
“Lenny wants us to be friends.” He smiled and waved at someone at the bottom of the court. “I want us to be friends. So why not be friends?”
I pointedly lifted a brow in response, and his now familiar boyish grin appeared. He was handsome on a bad day. But when he smiled, he was undeniably gorgeous. Not only was he tall and built, but his eyes were a light shade of hazelnut I’d never seen before that seemed to light up whenever he was excited or happy. Which seemed to be most of the time.
Nudging my shoulder with his, he shifted his attention back to the court. “I know I made a bad first impression, but I promise I’m a nice guy. And I’m a great friend.”
When Lenny grabbed the ball and ran, we both jumped up, cheering him on, conversation forgotten.
In the few weeks we’d known him, Jude had come to nearly every basketball game. He’d even shown up at the team’s fundraiser. And bought more cake than any one person could eat.
There’d been an anonymous donation when the team didn’t raise enough money to purchase their uniforms that I was almost sure was from him.
He’d fixed Lenny’s bike as promised. The stairs leading up to my apartment had finally been patched up. All the trash that had been left behind by various tenants was gone.
I didn’t know how he found the time, but I couldn’t deny that things had gotten much easier since Jude moved in next door.
But nobody was that nice just because. There had to be an ulterior motive. And until I found out what it was, I’d keep my distance. No matter how nice it felt sitting next to him. Or how much I wanted to lean into him, let someone else take charge for a while.
But living two lives made a relationship impossible. My lies would eventually catch up with me.
Someone else waved at Jude, and he returned the gesture. He’d made friends the moment he showed up to the first game.
But despite his popularity, he always sat with me. It was as much a mystery to me as it seemed to everyone else. Jude had even installed a basketball hoop at the side of the building where he was throwing the ball with Lenny almost every day.
We sat back down and Jude leaned into me. “So what are you guys doing after the game? Pizza?”
I knew Lenny would kill me if I lied and said we were going straight home. A lie that would come back to kick me in the butt since Jude would know we didn’t.
“We’re heading to Tony’s.” I clenched my teeth together, my attention never wavering from the game. “Do you want to come?”
An arm dropped onto my shoulders, and Jude pulled me into his side. “I’m proud of you. You didn’t even growl at me this time. And you invited me all by yourself. See, I knew we’d be friends one day.”
“We’re not friends.”
Ididgrowl this time, then scooted to the side, dislodging his arm that had felt way too nice around me. I’d never had a problem keeping my distance, but Jude seemed to be immune to my icy stares and frosty demeanor.
There was something endearing about him. But he was also hiding something. And everything in me fought to not get tangled up in his bright smiles and kind gestures. Giving in would be too easy.
